Glass Window Hearts
by Shahula
Summary: Bella's new office has a lot to offer besides escaping an evil boss. The biggest attraction? The beautiful man in the corner office across the street. Will they ever share more than glass windows? Rated 'M' for lemon zest but no real fruit.
1. Glass Caged Lion

_Twilight and it's characters belong to Stephenie Meyers. I only like having a bit of extra fun with them._

Glass Caged Lion

The young woman sat at her desk, papers strewn haphazardly around the space. Piles and stacks so deep with forms, worksheets, memos, and print outs the rich mahogany surface below couldn't be found without serious digging. File folders of various colors and weight littered the floor, tables, and chairs placed in her office. The woman was frantically searching for a much needed report for her boss, a woman who found little joy in life other than when she was directing her misery at one Bella Swan.

Bella was not new to this type of treatment, in fact it had been her constant companion since first accepting the position as data analysis. While analyzing data was a far cry from the dreams Bella held for herself when she first graduated from university, she had learned like so many college graduate do that the job you want is not the job you often get. She had tried relentless, for months on end to find the perfect career. Hours and days spent working on her resume and submitting it to countless agencies, filling out applications, walking the crowded streets in pursuit of the next interview where she could display all of her knowledge only to be told each and every time 'no'. 'No, you don't have the qualifications we're looking for.' 'While we like you're enthusiasm, you just don't have enough experience in the field.' 'You seem like a wonderful person but we'd like a candidate who has a firmer grasp on what is going on in the business.'

All were rejections, some dressed up in pretty words and sugarcoated to ease the hurt but when it came down to it Bella wasn't wanted. This knowledge was hurtful in the beginning, she never did accept rejection well. Years of feeling it from those who were suppose to love her best, beyond all reason but who simply didn't, had left a deep mark in her soul. Bella Swan however was persistent, what some would even call stubborn. She only allowed herself to feel the burn of rejection for a short time before resolving to prove each of the naysayers wrong. She would show them just how worthy of an employee she could be, if only for the right company. Unfortunately for Bella Swan, the right company wasn't knocking on her door like the bill collectors were.

This is what lead her to working in the field of data analysis. The job wasn't ideal by any means, long hours of staring at a computer screen filled with numbers needing to be crunched only to fill out forms and reports which had to be double checked and filed away for other companies to use was not what Bella wanted to do with her life. But the pay was decent enough and the health package benefits were desperately needed due to her accident prone nature, so when the viper of a woman offered her the job Bella accepted, promising herself it would be temporary and only until she could land the dream job. Four years had passed since she began at CompuCon and Bella was still drowning in numbers, misplaced reports, hard glares, and venom filled words from her superior without an end in sight.

Thumbing threw the stacks of wasted paper once more in a valiant effort to produce the latest bi-quarterly figures for an up and coming marketing firm, Bella exhaled in frustration when the report continued to elude her.

"I swear Victoria already has this, I know I sent it to her last Friday," Bella grumbled out. She may not have found any satisfaction in her job but she was damn good at it. She always completed her work in a timely manner, sent in her reports and forms as much ahead of schedule as possible and with the most accurate data she could produce. It was a work ethic she had inherited from her father, a proud and dependable man who Bella had always greatly admired while he had been available to her. In times of great anguish or despair, she would often think to herself, "What would Charlie do?" This often lead her on the path to push through, carry on to the best of her ability and leave the situation with her head held high, knowing she had given her best effort. To bad that wouldn't help her now.

Bella began to pace her office, wading through mountains of folders in search of the report. She cursed the current state of her office; the mess wasn't entirely her fault. She was usually a very neat and tidy person, organized and clean in her workspace as well as her appearance. However, she had recently received a slight promotion, much to Victoria's displeasure, and moved to a new office space on a different floor of the building owned by CompuCon. Bella welcomed the promotion and change in office space, secretly thrilled to be no longer be directly under Victoria's rule. She was only indebted to continue under Victoria's harsh supervision's tactics a few more weeks until the new boss would begin and take over the newly created department Bella had found herself elevated to. Her new position had been one Victoria had sought and been denied, which would explain the extra hate thrown at Bella over the last few days.

Bella finally became despondent, flopping herself back into her rolling chair and pressing her forehead against the desk, closing her eyes in defeat. She let her arms dangle listless by her sides, her high heeled feet turned inwards with knees touching as she slumped in defeat. The report was no where to be found in the travesty that was her office. The mess was unavoidable, her usual organization baskets, filing cabinets, and shelves had not been properly installed or delivered as of yet. She had a feeling one unhappy, soon to be ex-boss may be the culprit behind the slow progress.

When Bella had first become a member of CompuCon, she found herself under attention of one James Smithe, a relatively attractive man with an admittedly nice body but an attitude so repugnant, Bella often avoided any and all social situations where she might be forced to interact with him. James did not agree with Bella's obvious disdain for him and continued to pursue her. Victoria observed these unwanted advances by Smithe, creating a deep hatred of the new girl simply because James was no longer showering Victoria in his desires. Bella, being new to the professional field and still young in the ways of the world, knew nothing of the growing animosity Victoria had for her and was unable to understand how anyone could be so cold to her when they didn't know her. It was only after a very public display at the company Christmas party two years prior that Bella had any inclination of why Victoria may have hated her. Victoria had been heavily drinking for most of the night, throwing back the red and green cocktails like the sun wouldn't rise the next day. When Bella had arrived wearing a simple black dress with sequins which hit just above the knee and dipped down in an elegant sweetheart neckline, James was unable to keep his beady eyes off of her.

Victoria, recognizing the look, snagged James into a corner and planted her lips firmly to him, pulling and pushing her hands all over of his body, willing him to be with her. When James reciprocated, Victoria turned their passionate embrace into an sexual altercation which garnered the attention of many other employees in the area. Not days later, James Smithe was packing up his belongings from his office and being lead out of the building by security. From that day forward, Victoria's rage and hate simmered warmly behind ice blue eyes anytime she looked at Bella. Victoria hated Bella for forcing her hand but if she was unable to have Smithe, a silly little mousy girl of Bella's stature wouldn't either. She made this comment to Bella in passing, eyes narrowed to slits and lips pinched as she walked down the hall past Bella's small cubicle on the day of Jame's departure. Still, Bella was unsure she had heard her boss correctly and wanted to believe the best in people so she gave the matter little thought. Of course, when situations like the present one occurred, Bella was more inclined to agree with her subconscious which said this was likely the reason for her mistreatment.

Bella inhaled a deep breath, holding it in her lungs for a few moments before pushing it out into the air, ruffling the papers surrounding her head in an attempt to calm herself. Mediation wasn't something she practiced, her mother's short lived attempt at forming some sort of connection with her in high school by signing them up for yoga proving little relief then or now. Instead Bella turned over to window, casting her eyes upon the new view she had acquired with the office change. A small smile crossed her lips, tickling at the corners to be pulled into a fuller expression. While many of her co-workers in higher standing positions had what would be considered spectacular views of the vibrant city in which they lived, Bella had decided her view was the best. Her office wall facing the street was made up of one large window, split into three frames. Long, white floor length blinds could be pulled shut to give her privacy from the outside world, but Bella had yet to draw the shades after they had been opened. For there, sitting across the way in a building similar in size and proportion to her own, one floor up and two windows over was the most beautiful human being she had ever seen.

She found herself gazing out at him, tracing her eyes over his masculine form. The tight confines of the city, bursting to life with people and buildings which she often found to be suffocating in their nearness was nothing but cause to celebrate in these instances. Bella couldn't find it in herself to feel trapped by the closeness when she was able to gaze out at him, separated by a few yards, bricks and mortar, glass and the busy street below. She was close enough to his building to see the broad shoulders and back he possessed, with long legs and strong arms also filling out his form. His face wasn't always clear across the distant, as he was often bent down to work on papers in front of him or turned towards what she assumed was his computer but she was able to see the glorious mess of brownish, red hair he combed his fingers through each day. She couldn't help but wonder if the mess was come by naturally, due to him running his fingers in it on a near constant basis or if he worked for long periods of time to get the hair 'just right.' She had a hunch it was the former.

She first discovered her window stranger by accident, not long after moving into the office. The blinds had been drawn closed, pulled tightly shut against the busy streets below. Bella had opened them, needing to feel connected to the world beyond her computer screen so as not to get lost in it's hypnotic maze of white light. The sunlight had streamed into her office by midday, pooling across the floor and casting a bright glare on the screen. Bella noted it was near lunch time and a break was needed. She had risen from her chair and walked over to the window to contemplate what lunch she should eat for the day. As she thought she let her eyes wander down to the street below, noticing the increase in foot traffic as others made their own journeys for lunch. Her dark brown eyes scanned up the building next to her, noting how nice of a building it seemed. It was taller than CompuCon's, reaching high into the sky for several floors, probably close to thirty or so if she had to guess. Bella didn't know what happened next door, if it all belonged to one company or if several shared the space but she did notice how many of the windows were covered in blinds similar to how hers had been. Starting as high up as she could see, she took note of the various types of window treatments she could find. Most had basic black or white blinds drawn closed, keeping the outside world out. A few were pulled open slightly with small plants and decorations on the ledges. She thought briefly of adding a few flowers and knick-knacks to her own ledge, just to add a bit of color. Some offices were quite large, having more window space to see into. Others appeared quite tiny, not big enough for the desk tucked away in them. But she noticed one lucky corner office, one floor up and two windows over from her spot, had an amazing space. The windows there ran from the floor to ceiling, glass on both sides so the occupant inside was almost given an 'around the world' view.

Bella had felt a small pang of jealous, wishing she could find herself in such a place for surely the owner of such a lovely office had to be in a career they loved and thrived at to earn such a nice space. She wished she could feel the same. Bella continued to stare in and noted that the furniture available to her eyes appeared to be of high quality, dark woods and filled with books. If she strained her eyes hard enough, she could just make out the far wall the bookshelf was against as being a sage color, with maybe some sort of art on it? She wasn't really sure. As she continued to admire the lovely space, a man came stalking into view, throwing something across the large desk where papers flew across the top and crashed to the floor. He stormed over to the panoramic window before throwing his hands up against the glass around the corner, taking deep breaths which raised and lowered his body. Bella could see his mouth working, tight and controlled as he appeared to be talking with someone out of her view. The conversation didn't seem to be going well as he paced back and forth across the space, popping in and out of her sight like a caged animal. With his wild hair, arms thrashing about and anger flaring she likened him to a lion. Gracefully striding across this domain, roaring for all to see and know his power. Yes, he was rather like the king of the jungle.

His face which was contorted with anger was still beautiful. Even across such a distance she could tell this to be true. He had a sharp jaw line, pulled taunt with tension as she gazed at him, high cheek bones, an elegant, straight nose and full, pink lips. His eye color was hidden by the divide between the offices, but she was sure they sparked in their own beauty. How could they not, the rest of him was perfection so surely his eyes would be no different. Bella was rather certain if she had been able to see his eyes clearly she would have fallen for him beyond measure even without knowing a single thing about him, given how much his physical presence already affected her. Seeing his eyes, being able to feel his soul through them, this would have been to much for someone like Bella. Sure was as sure of this as she was of her own name.

She watched him then, contained in the glass prison of his office and wondered what could cause such a reaction from him. Was he always so angry, perhaps he was a bitter and unhappy man who simply had no tolerance for those he worked with? No, Bella didn't think this was could be true. Somewhere deep within her told her this wasn't the case. Passionate perhaps, but violent and angry- no, she knew this wasn't the case. The seed of desire to know more about him, why he acted as he did was planted then, the soil turned over and packed tight as she saw his temper lower and it was watered by the crushed look of despair she caught fly across his face just before he turned from his view and closed his blinds.

The desire had not dissipated since that day two weeks ago. In fact, the desire to know more about her corner office stranger had only grown as each day she found herself drawn to his window. At first, she merely wanted to check and see if the lion was okay, if he was still caged. And often she found him to be, pacing an irregular path across the floor and across Bella's heart. She couldn't help herself, watching him for long stretches of time before he would seem to calm and settle himself, usually after a time of window viewing. The days he sat hunched over his work and partially hidden from view never bothered Bella, it was enough to know he was there, just a few yards away from her.

This day Bella hoped would be a good day, a day he wasn't the caged lion throwing his head about and roaring for his freedom. She wanted him to be tame today so she might feed off of his calm. On the days he was calm, his actions those of everyday workers, he soothed her. She was content to watch him from her window and bask in the relief he provided. It reminded her of trips to the zoo as a young girl, when the wild cats all sat in the open spaces of their cages, bathing in the sun's light. His calm was her sunlight, warming her in ways she didn't understand. Bella raised her eyes from his standing form, appreciating him in the most basic way a woman can. When her eyes reached his head, she found herself looking upon a sight she had never seen before.

He was looking at her.

A sharp gasp left her mouth when the realization struck. He was looking at her, the lion was standing in his window with his eyes fixed on her! Bella shot straight up in her chair, never taking her eyes off of his face. Could he really be looking at her? There were many windows on this side of her building, surely he wasn't looking at hers. Maybe it was just a window near her that had caught his attention? Oh no, had he caught her watching him? Bella became agitated with this new thought, frantic for an entirely different reason than before. Still, there had to be a chance he wasn't looking at her.

But no, it had to be hers for he gave a small, half smile as he saw her quick reaction. Wait, was he laughing at her? Bella was perplexed, his shoulders did seem to be bouncing lightly but if he was looking at her, she didn't see what was funny. He was laughing at her, the jerk! Okay, maybe she had been staring at him for the past two weeks without his permission and maybe that could be classified as a type of stalking but did he need to laugh at her?

Her emotions must have been playing across her face for he held up a hand and pointed at her briefly before he pointed to his own forehead. Bella was confused, what did that mean? Was he trying to say something about her hair? Bella reached her left hand upwards in an attempt to smooth the offending tresses only to come into contact with the edge of a post-it which had clung to her forehead.

Bella's eyes grew wide and her face flushed with color, her skin a deep shade of pink in embarrassment as she ripped the offending piece of paper off her head and threw it to the desk top. Across the way, his face bloomed into a huge smile and Bella could see the laughter rolling out of his perfect mouth. She was mortified. The beautiful man had not only caught her staring but then was present for more of her humiliation.

Shaking her head back and forth to dislodge the thoughts of embarrassment, Bella dropped her head into her hands in shame. She hoped he would be gone by the time she looked back again because there was no way she could face him. Bella was use to having odd situations happen to her but this was too much. Although it was unrealistic, Bella had allowed herself to have fantasies of the day her lion would look out from his view and see her. He would be pacing but stop for a moment to look out and that's when he would see her, gazing up from her window into his and he would be as enraptured with her as she was with him. And then they would meet, rushing down the stairs of their buildings to join each other on the street below where they could start the beginning of their lives, together.

So when the reality of how it actually occurred, him seeing her with a post-it attached to her head and laughing, she knew her fantasy had been ruined. He would never see her as sexy. He probably thought Bella was 'special' or a charity case. Bella decided she wouldn't be cheap entertainment for him. She would miss him and the calming effect he had on her but she wouldn't let him make a spectacle of her.

Decision made, Bella rose from her seat and marched over to her window to draw the blinds for the first time in two weeks. She glared out the window over to the man letting him see all the anger and disappointment she had for him. He appeared startled for a moment, surprised by her sudden actions. He quickly began to shake is head back and forth 'no' vigorously with his hands palm outward as if to stop her.

Bella paused, taken aback by the expression on his face. He looked... worried, maybe? The man held out one hand with fingers splayed out in the classic stop pose. Bella tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow in question. The man only shook his head slowly, his face apologetic and pleading. Bella thought it seemed as if he didn't want her to close the blinds but she couldn't be sure. She had no interactions with him before so she couldn't really read him. She stared thoughtfully at his face, curious as to why he would be upset if she closed the window blinds.

Bella watched as he ran his free hand through his messy locks, twisting and turning them into further disarray before he placed his open palm flush against the glass of the window closest to Bella's. He mouthed one word, 'don't'. He gave a slight shake of his head before parting his lips once more to say 'stay'.

Stay.

He wanted her stay. He didn't want her to close her blinds and shut him out.

Bella didn't want to either. A smile, almost so tiny it couldn't be seen crossed her lips as she observed him. His face which was always so stunning, was colored with worry and sadness. Over her. He didn't want Bella to go. He wasn't disgusted by her obsession, he wanted the connection it seemed. This knowledge gave flight to something within Bella causing her heart to beat faster and her stomach to dance with butterflies.

Bella moved one hand up to the window and pressed her fingertips to the glass before flattening her palm against it. She gazed fixedly at the man and allowed her best smile, full of happiness and contentment to cover her face. She felt a surge in her pulse when he smiled back at her with a crooked grin that only enhanced his charming face.

Bella's lion was smiling, just for her.

And just for a minute, as the two admired each other, it was if the rest of the world faded away.

With their palms pressed against the cool glass of their respective windows, sweet smiles stretched across their faces, Bella could almost feel his touch.

The phantom feel of his fingertips washed over her as nothing ever had before sending a shiver down her spine in the most delicious of ways.

_A/N: This is just a little idea I've been playing with for awhile. This will be a very, VERY short story. Probably three, maybe four chapters. Five at the very most. ;)_


	2. Glass Half Empty

Glass Half Empty

Minutes turned to hours. Hours to days. And days inevitably turned to weeks before Bella. She had little interest in the day to day occurrence of time passing. In fact, she only took note in that it had passed without her being made aware of it.

What Bella was aware of was missing her lion. The cherished moment of window fingerprints had been weeks ago and she had been unable to connect with him again. Bella was beside herself in the beginning at being unable to reestablish the tentative link forged on that afternoon. Their window moment had been snapped away from them in the blink of an eye. Victoria had come in to Bella's office only moments after the silent connection first bloomed between Bella and the lion. The report Bella had been frantically searching for was now even more imperative Victoria have than ever before. She had chastised Bella for wasting time staring out the window and shirking her work responsibilities which only served to infuriate Bella and pull her from her budding acquaintance. Bella had given him a sad smile before turning her back to him and aiding Victoria in finding the report.

Bella had been highly irritated when the missing report was found later that evening in Victoria's office; apparently it had been 'misfiled' and landed in the accounts paid bin. Red hair blazing with her mouth curled into a sneering smile, Victoria made no apologies to Bella, simply issuing a chuckle as if to say 'no harm, no foul'.

Bella did not find humor in the situation.

Since the day of missing report, Bella had watched her window at every opportunity she could in the hopes he would be looking out for her again. She had had no success thus far. Every free minute not spent working was utilized in window gazing but to no avail. In fact, she was so desperate to reestablish their small bond that Bella had taken to eating in her office for lunch.

Unfortunately for her, the lion-like man across the street was never there when her eyes sought him out. The only result eating at her desk had was to find droplets of mayo and cheese from turkey sandwiches spread across files and documents which meant more work to be done.

Bella felt empty without seeing him each day. The first few days after their encounter Bella had been sure with all the joy of a thirteen year old girl, she would look out and find him with his hand pressed to the glass just as before, waiting for her to return. She was sadly disappointed when he wasn't there. Since the first mutual sighting she had only seen quick flashes of him as he moved about his office. His arm reaching across his desk for files or the back of his legs as he stepped away from the glass. He was forever just out of her sight when she peered into his window those first days. Now, Bella was weighted down with another emotion entirely.

Bella feared some grievous mistake had been made on her part for the lion was never in his office anymore. Any fleeting glimpses of his pressed button down shirts rolled up to his elbows had vanished as had the ever present glide of his hands through the thick strands of his distinct hair.

He was gone.

Some days, the lights in his office never even flickered to life.

Bella had convinced herself it was her.

All though there was no logical reason for her conviction Bella still couldn't help but deem it to be true. After all, he had been in his office consistently before their shared moment weeks before. Maybe he had rethought things and decided Bella was a stalker, always looking at him from her window at all times of the day. Maybe he had gotten a good look at her at some point and seen how plain Bella thought herself to be. Brown hair which hung below her shoulders, slim figure with just a slight curve of the hips and breasts surely didn't impress the gorgeous man. It rarely impressed any man so why would this model of perfection be any different, Bella couldn't help but wonder.

Bella was dejected by the perceived rejection of her window friend but had resolved herself to let go and move on. One brief moment looking at a man in an office window really shouldn't give her heart pause as it had been. She didn't even know the man's name for crying out loud! He could be a terrible person with a mean and angry spirit. She had seen evidence to that before, or at least slight temper flares. Water wasn't the only thing to rain down in his glass cage, papers and files had often made a similar trek. But even still Bella couldn't allow herself to believe the thoughts of him as mean to be true. Something within her still craved him, still gave him the benefit of the doubt. Bella still hoped.

However that hope didn't mean Bella would forever linger. No, she was stronger and smarter than that. She wasn't a naive seventeen year old girl who let a boy destroy her life. Especially a boy she barely knew. The beautiful, glass lion would be no different.

Bella was fortunate enough to find a distraction from her missing lion at work recently. The new boss had finally arrived the previous week, bringing with him a happy surprise.

Jasper Hale. He had been an old friend of Bella's, back from her days in high school in the rainy little town up the coast of Washington. While Jasper and Bella hadn't exactly been in the same social circles, he was very popular given his handsome face and easy demeanor whereas Bella chose to keep to herself and only enjoyed the close friendships of a few books and even fewer people, the two had been friendly towards one another. So it was quite a happy coincidence when Jasper first arrived and greeted his new staff, including one Bella Swan.

Jasper had been somewhat recognizable to Bella, similar to hearing parts of a song's lyric but still not knowing the full tune until it hits you later, quite unexpectedly. This was the case with Jasper. His ocean blue eyes danced happily out at his group during introductions but still upon Bella's face and turned thoughtful. His blond, curly locks were worn much shorter now than the cut he preferred in high school but his broad and bright smile showcasing his straight, white teeth was still the same. He had been boyishly handsome during their time in Forks but the few years had done him well, his face had lost any roundness and turned into sharp, defined lines which screamed of man. He was very attractive as many of the women at CompuCon would comment and agree upon after he walked past.

Bella would agree to this assessment too but her mind was still puzzling over why he seemed so familiar to truly appreciate his fine form. And she had the lion too, of course.

Luckily for both Jasper and Bella, Mr. Hale was much better with remembering faces and although Bella's had turned into a much more beautiful version of her teen-aged youth, enough of the shy girl remained that Jasper was able to piece together who she was. It didn't hurt that her name was still Bella Swan and Jasper could distinctly recall a run in with her police chief father during his wilder high school years which involved a tractor, the river, and the Fork's High Spartan statue. No, that memory didn't hurt either.

So it was with an easy smile and a polite re-introduction that Bella found herself in a new but old friendship once again. She was pleased with the new development; it was just what she needed to forgot about the window stranger.

Jasper and Bella had begun a slow but firm rebuilding of their high school friendship during their time working together. Bella found Mr. Hale to be an excellent boss. He was firm but fair with his employees, always asking them to give their best effort and do their best work. Of course he also put forth his best efforts and never talked down to his employees, striving to be considered one of the fold. He could often be found working late in a cubicle just like the rest of them, which led to many satisfied workers who all worked harder for him. CompuCon was thrilled with the increase in quality work.

Their friendship developed during the down times in the office. Jasper was often found in Bella's office when he wasn't helping others or working on his own projects, chatting and catching up with her life. Jasper vocally wondered why they hadn't been closer during high school during one of these instances. Bella had an easy answer.

"We didn't exactly run with the same crowd, Mr. Hale," Bella quietly explained over her turkey and rye.

"Call me Mr. Hale one more time, Swan, and I swear I will put you on the party planning committee with Jessica Stanely," Jasper threatened. Bella visibly cringed at the thought of being forced to endure multiple meetings for needless parties with the promiscuous young woman. "How are 'different crowds' even possible in Forks, Bella? The size of the town is about the size of a tic-tac. There had to be more to it."

Bella was reluctant to explain further. She really didn't want to explain her old prejudice to the man beside her. High school had been a very confusing and difficult time for her, she had just moved in with her father and was still unsure of their relationship. She felt insecure and lost without her mother and had been a little hurt when she had been shipped north so Renee could enjoy the newlywed life. So despite many attempts by others, Bella refused to let anyone else in. This included popular kids like Jasper Hale who would have been sure to leave her behind when school let out. Or worse, use her for her mind. At the time it was easier to just keep her nose in a book and wait for college. But how to explain this now, when it was so obviously a misconception of youth.

Taking a deep breath, Bella ventured a hesitant answer, "Well, Jasper, I guess if you really want to know... I was scared of you. I mean, kids like you. And what you'd do to me..." she allowed her voice to fade off.

"What? That makes no sense. What do you mean, kids like me? And why would I have scared you?" Jasper had dropped his philly-cheese steak sandwich back to the crumpled wrapping on Bella's desk at her response. A frown creased his lips and wrinkled his brow at her upsetting remark.

"Just..." Bella exhaled a breath before going on, "you don't know what it was like, for kids like me. I didn't fit in anywhere, I wasn't a jock or a cheerleader. I had my books and that was about it. It wasn't anything in particular you did to scare me, just... just that people like you and Emmett McCarty where just so.. so much more than I could ever be."

Jasper had stared at her, taking in the tension in her shoulders and the crease of her brow. Her deep brown eyes were very telling, showing him an old hurt still lingered there. Jasper was very concerned he had some how caused it and quickly sought to rectify any injustice on his part.

"Bella, I hope I didn't ever do something that would make you feel scared. I really tried to be different from the rest of them, you know. I never picked on underclassman or anything. I could tell how much it upset them and I just couldn't bear it."

"No, you didn't. No one did, really. I didn't let anyone get close enough... never gave them the chance to." Bella gave Jasper a small, sad smile to show him there were no hard feelings. After all, it had been her choice. She knew it then and she knew it now. She only now fully realized the sillyness of it. But that was what being a teenager was about, learning.

"Well, we are just going to have to make sure you've got lots of friends now, Bella Swan. You are too beautiful and funny not to," Jasper commented while slapping his knees with both palms before rising to leave and head back to his office. Bella's mouth dropped open at his off hand comment about her appearance.

"Uh, Jasper, did someone put something in your kool-aid? 'Cause I am many things, but beautiful I doubt very much."

Jasper scoffed before replying. "Don't even go there, Swan. I'm not trying to sexually harass you, cause I want to sit through another one of those training videos about as much as I want another hole in the head but the fact remains, you are a lovely woman. Not my type but I'm sure someone will fancy you. Just keep a look out," he chuckled as he left her office with a wink over his shoulder.

Since that revealing lunch in her office Mr. Hale, or Jasper as he had insisted, had become a regular fixture in her daytime lunch routine. It was at first disconcerting to Bella, she was never use to this type of attention from a male let alone her boss. Jasper was persistent in his belief the two would be good friends and continued to pursue his path despite Bella's attempts to persuade him otherwise. Bella had been worried how the other employees would take it, perhaps they would misconstrue the nature of their friendly relationship and accuse her of being an office harlot of some sort. She knew if Victoria ever found out about the friendship Bella would be looking for the nearest corner to cower in. But Jasper reassured her that these fears were unwarranted and unnecessary. He told her to 'chill out' and just let him worry about everyone else. So Bella did just that.

Luckily for her, Jasper was right. No one seemed to misunderstand their friendly lunch dates. This could probably be explained by Jasper's friendly nature and attention to all of his employees but Bella felt like her wide open door lunch policy didn't hurt either.

It was Jasper who provided Bella a reprieve from her window melancholy with his warm smile and gentle jokes most often. The two would sometimes reminisce about Forks or high school classmates, wondering what had become of them. It was decided that Tyler Crowley, a particularly crude boy who terribly mistreated those he deemed below his social standing had become a swarmy car salesman with a pot belly and growing bald spot in the back of his blond head. They also agreed that their friends Ben and Angela had finally gathered the courage after freshman year of college at the University of Washington and declared their feelings for one another. This of course lead to a happy marriage and then two young children. Jasper argued they would have sons but Bella felt her once close friend would have a daughter as sweet as her. She and Jasper agreed to split the difference and give the couple both.

The pattern of their lunch dates was a welcome distraction for Bella after a few weeks time. It had gotten to the point where Bella didn't even consider her once window friend. Of course, if she was being honest with herself his imperfectly perfect image was burned across her heart and into her soul so she couldn't _really_ forget about him or the hope she might see him again. She just chose not to dwell on it. So it came as a bit of shock the sunshiny day when Jasper called her attention to the window.

"Hey Swan, check this out. You can see right into the offices across the street!" Jasper exclaimed with delight while rising from his chair across from Bella's desk and walking to his new found attraction. "Is that why you're always staring out?" he teased.

Bella was at a loss of what to do. Should she admit to this? What would he think of her? Would he know about the corner office lion? Had she been that obvious in her staring at his office windows? She thought she'd been fairly subtle in her wavering eye but clearly Jasper had picked up on it. Her cheeks tinged with blush at being caught.

"Bella, you need to see this. You aren't not going to believe what is going on over there!" but Jasper's voice barely carried over Bella's internal struggle.

Would Jasper think she was creepy for staring at him all the time? It was kind of creepy but he had waved to her that one time and seemed okay with it. Of course he hadn't been back in the windows since then. Maybe she could ask Jasper about wha-... hang on, did Jasper just say something about seeing someone? Wait, could Jasper see _him_ RIGHT NOW?

Bella threw herself from her seat and hurried quickly to the large glass window which had once been her sense of peace to see if it now reflected what she could only think would be hell. If it was her lion she would be devastated. The final nail in the proverbial coffin of her fantasy. Not to mention the fact she really had no desire to witness first hand the situation Jasper was clearly insinuating was taken place across the street. Bella rushed to Jasper's side and cast her eyes directly to the window which held all her hopes and dreams in that moment, praying her worst fears wouldn't be displayed.

They weren't. The corner office glass was empty, shades open and light filtering into what appeared to be a darkened room.

"Do you see, B? Up about three floors, over to the left about five windows over?" Jasper's voice was somewhat awed at the sight. Bella exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding as she drew her gaze away from her favorite spot and to the window Jasper was clearly fixated on. What she saw there was quite graphic and erotic. Pressed against the glass was a woman, bent at the waist with her shirt ripped open and hands straining up high against the glass. The woman's head was tossed back in what could only be ecstasy as a beautiful man with wild and tousled hair stood behind her, his hands gripping firmly to her hips as he worked over her. Who would do such a thing in the middle of the day, against an open window, and in a office?

Bella shivered at the thought. Whether out of shock or delight, she couldn't be sure.

"That guy is one lucky bastard," Jasper quietly murmured under his breath. Bella was not suppose to hear his comment as his eyes were still clearly locked on the intimate albeit public act across the street and not focused on his current surroundings which were the office of his employee at his own establishment of work. Bella turned to him with a mock look of horror on her face and give his arm a small slap to pull him back to the present.

Chuckling, Jasper slung his arm over Bella's shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze before remarking, "Hey, it may not be right, but it sure doesn't look wrong either." Bella's mouth dropped open as Jasper let a full laugh fall from his lips. "I'm kidding, Swan. That is not work place appropriate. And you shouldn't be watching, your delicate eyes can't take it. Why don't you just let me let you know when its over?"

"Go to hell, Whitlock. As a matter of fact, I think Victoria was looking for you earlier... something about needing a refresher on the Robertson files?" Bella bit back.

"Ouch, that would be hell. Think I'll just leave you to your window sexca-" Jasper stopped at the malice filled look Bella was shooting him. "I mean, I'll let you finish up your lunch. Nice chatting with you." Jasper quickly extracted his arm from around Bella, gathered his crumpled chip bag and soda cup from her desk and turned to leave. Just as he crossed her threshold he made one finally remark, "Don't stare to hard at 'em Bella, your eyes'll get stuck that way!" his lingering and oddly placed Southern accent cautioned as he scampered out of Bella's reach.

She couldn't believe the nerve of that man. So juvenile. And to think, he was in charge of a whole division. Bella scoffed at the absurdity of it all. And then she quickly peeked back up to the erotic window display, catching just the retreating forms of the man and woman.

She looked back across the rustic and faded brick building, allowing her eyes and mind to fix once more upon the beautiful man of her own favorite window. Her breath caught in her throat. He was there. Back in his window and back to looking at her. Maybe even looking through her, his face seemed so intense. She study his face as it appeared to be creased with a mix of emotions, sadness, worry, possibly a little anger even. He didn't seem to be happy to see her, causing the smile she had felt pressing against her own cheeks to fall just a little. Bella didn't understand what could be upsetting him. She watched with blatant curiosity as he rested his arm, elbow bent above his wild hair against the glass, with his hand in a fist. His light blue shirt was crinkled, sleeves pushed up past his elbows and tie loosened around his neck. He seemed to be searching for something and exhaled, as if what he searched for was lacking. He then straightened from his previously slackened form, long black slack encased legs pulling him to his full height as he began to back away from his window.

Bella was startled from her silent musings and immediately fearful he would withdraw and disappear from her once again. She couldn't let that happen. Even though she had only seen him for mere minutes this time, it was enough to send her heart fluttering and erase the tension she had been holding onto from not seeing him. He couldn't be going now, not so fast. She hadn't even gotten to really look at him, not nearly long enough. She had to do something, stop him somehow.

Bella quickly flung her hand up to the glass of her window, a loud smack resounding in her office but she didn't care. She needed him to stop, to wait, give her a moment to think of something to do. Something to keep him here, at the glass with her. She mouthed 'stop' across to him, hopping it would work as it had for her last time. It seemed it did as he paused at the glass of his own windowed world.

"Wait. Please!" she vocally implored even though he couldn't hear her. Bella held one finger up and turned after he nodded his agreement. Spinning back towards her now organized office, she began a quick search. She needed to find something to help her communicate with him. Something, somewhere, somehow. Her dark brown eyes spied the printer atop the bookcase behind her desk, sheets of white paper sitting in the gray tray waiting to preform their function. Bella ran across the space of her office, practically hurtling her desk and chair in an attempt to grab a few sheets of the paper and then a black marker from the cup holder sitting beside her phone. She popped the cap off the marker and paused for a moment over the paper. What should she write? An idea, though simple, flowed from her fingers and hastily across the white page.

Bella rushed back to the window to make sure the lion was still there. Seeing him leaning against his window still but with a decidedly questioning look on his masculine face thrilled Bella. He hadn't left and was waiting. For her. She just hoped this would work. She smiled out to the beautiful man and held up her makeshift sign to the glass.

'Hi. I'm Bella.'

Although the temptation was strong, Bella refused to close her eyes. She needed to see his reaction, needed to find the strength and courage to see this wild action through. It wasn't like Bella in the slightest but this wasn't an ordinary situation either. This was her lion, and she had to do something.

Judging by the look on his face, Bella had made the right choice. Any confusion and doubt that had marred his features only moments before had quickly turned to amusement and delight at Bella's simple sign. He smiled briefly at Bella before holding up a long, pale finger of his own and turning back into his own office. Bella held her breath and willed herself to calm. She didn't know exactly what he was doing but she didn't think it was an outright rejection.

She barely had a moment to consider the thought of rejection before he had turned back around with his own sheet of white paper pressed to the window.

'Hello Bella. I'm Edward.'

_Edward_.

Bella could barely contain her elation for the moment. She knew his name now. It was strong, elegant, and decidedly male. It was just like him.

It was a perfect name. He was perfect.

She smiled wider at Edward and gave him a small wave with her free hand, as the right was still holding up her sign. Edward wore his own grin as he flipped his sign over and Bella read 'Nice to finally meet you.'

If it was possible, she smiled even wider at him.


	3. Glass House Friendships

**Glass House Friendships**

Bella Swan was glowing.

Well perhaps glowing wasn't the correct term. But she was definitely shimmering.

Everyone on her office floor could see it. Each wondered what had caused the change. It wasn't that Bella had been particularly gloomy before. No, it was just she didn't seem to have much of a spark. Her face was always amicable but there was no light beneath it.

Now, well now... she shimmered. Sparkled. Glinted with joy. Whatever she was on, or whatever she was taking, was working for her. Some of her fellow co-workers wished they could learn her secret and have it for themselves.

Bella wasn't saying a word though. Her secret was precious to her and she was unwilling to have it shared.

Edward was hers.

Bella was aware of what a possessive attachment to the man held back by distance and glass she had developed, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Since the sign conversation they had shared Bella had been floating on air. She could feel the clouds dancing under her feet as she made her way to anywhere else in her office building, waiting and hoping for another chance to 'speak' to him.

After the initial introduction to one another Bella had found her heart thrumming in her chest, faster than a hummingbird's wings. She wasn't able to keep the smile from her mouth as she and Edward continued to stare at one another. She would have stayed perched at the window all afternoon, watching and sharing in the moment with Edward if it had been possible. Unfortunately for the pair it was still the middle of a work day and the ringing of Bella's office line could only be ignored for so long. It seemed Edward also had activities he had to get back to, as he had turned his head slightly towards where Bella assumed his door was and nodded in response to something. The two shared another longing look before each retreated back to their work.

Bella couldn't help but grumble minutely at the misfortune of needing a stupid job. It messed up everything. Of course had she not had this stupid job she may have never seen her lion, the beautiful man named Edward. That possibility quickly lead her to find some sort of appreciation for her unfulfilling job. At least there was something to be said for it.

Bella was further deflated at the end of Friday as she had been unable to have anymore conversations with Edward. Restless for reasons she couldn't be very sure of, Bella had packed her belongs up for the weekend and proceeded to the street below. Bella tried to do her part in saving the environment so instead of driving her own vehicle, she chose the public bus. It was a messy, sticky, sweat-filled place with little fresh air to be had but it was cheap, and it was economically friendly. It also had the added bonus of people watching.

Watching those around her on the bus that evening gave Bella a new sense of delight. She had often felt weary and alone after the drive to her apartment, seeing the interactions of the patrons around her. She would sometimes fantasize about them, the work they did each day and how they would talk about their long days to loved ones over dinner that night.

She could just imagine how happy and fulfilled they must be each day, knowing they were going home to people who loved them, had an interest in what had occurred at work. If they boss was treating them fairly or if there was still a problem with the copier. Bella dreamed of a each life the person sitting next to her must have and how it was surely better than her own. These daydreams of other people's lives where often the cause of Bella's moroseness at the end of her own day. It never seemed to fail that by the time the bus pulled up to her stop she felt lower than she had before, which had been saying a lot since she had worked for the wicked witch of CompuCon Victoria for so long.

This trip however found Bella in a much more pleasant mood as she climbed the steps to her bus. She smiled at the driver as she deposited her tokens and took her seat. She found the smell of sweat and other bodily functions less stifling today. Instead of watching and dreaming about the lives of those around her, Bella's mind wandered to the exchange she had earlier.

Never in her life had something so extraordinary happened to her. It wasn't even something she could have dreamed up, which was what was currently causing her giddyness. So many nights she had spent riding this bus, studying those around her and giving their lives twists and turns she wished for herself. Yet this interaction, these two small conversations with Edward, were more than she could have ever thought up. And no one but her knew about them. She thrilled at the idea of such a rare occurrence happening to her. She hoped it could be repeated again.

That evening when Bella shuffled into her small apartment, she placed her sign securely to the refrigerator in her kitchen. Growing up with her father had lead Bella to enjoy the simpler things in life and not need the flourishes so many other women seemed to need in their home. A few prints and photographs adorned her walls, bookshelves were filled with the works of her oldest friends- books- but little else took up residence in her home. This newest edition, the small sign with her name written across it might just prove to be her most favorite addition to date.

The thought warmed Bella's heart in a way she hadn't felt before and she gave the paper a small caress before leaving the kitchen to turn in for the night.

The following day when the sun first awoke and kissed it's lover the sky, Bella Swan was already awake and pacing the hardwood floor of her bedroom. She was antsy. Bella knew there wasn't a reason to be, it was just another day, same as any other. Of course, that wasn't entirely true because this day would prove to be very uneventful due to the concrete knowledge that she would have no chance of seeing Edward.

Damn Saturdays. They ruined everything. And Sunday wouldn't be much better. Bella felt certain whoever had created weekends did so with the sole purpose of ruining her life.

Bella then took a deep breath and rationalized with herself, attempting to pull herself back from the ledge of crazy she was flirting with. The weekends were not created to ruin lives, especially not hers. In truth, for most of her life weekends had been the only saving grace she could find. The opportune time to catch up on reading, do household chores like laundry and cleaning as well as spend time with her few friends had always been the highlight to Bella's ever long weeks. It was only now that she had a reason to look forward to spending time in her office did she feel that way.

And is she was being truly honest, it wasn't work but the chance of seeing and talking to Edward again that she coveted.

Bella needed to snap out of it. She pulled herself to an abrupt halt in her manic pacing and shook her head. It was time to get over this small obsession and be thankful for the days off. As much as she craved to see Edward again and share more stolen moments with him, she wouldn't allow herself to get swept up in a dream. She was a level headed, mature, grown woman who wouldn't lose her mind over a man.

Even if the man was the epitome of her own personal perfection, such as Edward was.

With the new decision firmly made, Bella got herself ready for the day ahead. She dressed in casual clothes and a simple pony-tail to go about cleaning her apartment. It wasn't much, but it was home. The space wasn't very large, a small office which was really more like large closet, bedroom, living room, and a modest kitchen with a breakfast nook encompassed all of what Bella termed home. The living room was painted in soft, warm cream tones and housed her large, comfy blue couch, rustic coffee table and entertainment center. Bella had a passion for movies and her dark, cherry brown entertainment center was filled with DVDs in a variety of genres.

Bella had spent an entire evening when she first moved in sorting the movies along the shelves, arranging them in what her friend Alice deemed the most unusual manner. Bella didn't think it was that strange, she just liked the way it looked. Each DVD was lined up next to another that most nearly matched it in color. In addition, any movies that were part of a series had to be beside each other. This classification included actors too. So while it was an appealing palate and made sense to Bella, no one else who visited could see the rhyme or reason behind it.

The knowledge of this gave Bella a little satisfaction, she had to admit. She found herself so plain in so many ways that when little quirks of her personality such as this popped out, it allowed her to feel some sense of accomplishment that perhaps she wasn't so dull after all. She was just a unique puzzle that no one else had figured out yet.

After cleaning her home, washing dishes and laundry alike, she took a quick shower and decided to call Alice for lunch. A quick phone call and an hour later, Bella was leaving her apartment to head downtown to the tiny bistro she and Alice enjoyed for brunch. After a short bus ride and walk around the street corner to the hidden bistro, Bella found Alice sitting outside under an umbrella table sipping on her water. Bella smiled happily at her closest friend, welcoming the distraction time chatting with her would provide.

"Hello Alice," Bella said warmly when she reached the table.

"Bella! I'm so glad you called, sweetie!" Alice replied while quickly rising to give Bella a hug before situating herself once more at the iron patio table. "I figured we'd sit outside since it's so beautiful out today. Is that okay?"

"It's fine. I really can't believe how great the weather is actually. I might even walk home if the weather holds up," Bella responded.

The two women settled into the atmosphere quickly, placing their orders on what to eat and drink before beginning their gossiping session. And gossip it would be, as Alice was full of information that only she seemed to possess. It never failed to amuse and amaze Bella, often making her wonder if maybe Alice had some extra ability which would explain this special skill. Bella realized it was much more likely that Alice was just a busy-body. A busy-body who had the best of intentions which is why it didn't bother Bella for Alice to stick her nose in Bella's life. Well, not much anyway.

"So, tell me about the new boss? How is that whole, we-knew-each-other-in-high-school-and-now-I-work-for-you thing going?" Alice questioned. Bella had told Alice briefly about Jasper and their former history but not very much. She had been quite distracted at the time with thoughts of a bronze haired man. Her thoughts were still dizzy with the man but much less turmoil and guilt filled now.

"Jasper is great," Bella explained while dabbing her napkin across her lips. "Everyone really likes him, he treats us all fairly. And like we are people worth something, so he's got that going," Bella quipped. She shot Alice a smirk before taking a small sip of water and continuing, "We've actually gotten to be pretty good friends lately. We have lunch together sometimes."

"Really? Well that does sound friendly," Alice teased playfully. She waggled her delicate, dark eyebrows at Bella. Bella chuckled and shook her head at Alice's not so subtle insinuation.

"No, Al, it's not like that. We're just friends. Work friends, so that is even less than normal friends. Besides, he isn't even my type."

"Who is?" Alice questioned blankly.

"Hey! I resent that! I date..." Bella trailed off at the look on Alice's face.

Alright, it was true. What Bella did could very loosely be defined as 'dating'. If that meant meeting up in large groups and sometimes talking to a man before rushing home to watch How I Met Your Mother on CBS. Bella just loved that show and wished she could find her own Ted Mosby. All she seemed to meet where the Barney Stinsons of the world. These thoughts were interrupted by her small friend's delicate voice speaking to her once again.

"Listen, Bell, I'm not trying to be pushy. I just worry about you, is all." Alice's voice was laced with kindness and concern which tugged at Bella's heart. She really loved Alice and her meddling ways. Maybe she should tell Alice about Edward. Alice could probably give her advice on how to best deal with her corner office crush. Lord knew Bella needed it.

"Well, there is someone-"

"What? Who? Since when? Isabella Marie Swan, you have a guy and DIDN'T TELL ME?" Alice's voice shrieked and continued to rise as did her body from her seat. Bella flushed in embarrassment at the outburst and quickly tried to calm her over reactive friend down.

"No, no, nothing like that. Alice, please! I don't even really know him, I've just...seen him. At work," Bella responded while attempting to slowly burrow her way into the ground to hide from the other patron's stares. She may love Alice but the woman could be over dramatic. Now was one of those times, Bella mentally noted.

"Oh. Well.. wait. I thought you said your boss wasn't your type?" Alice head tilted to the side in confusion, her short black spiked hair never moving out of its coiffed place.

"Not Jasper, this is someone else. And, well.. he doesn't exactly work in my office," Bella said.

"I don't understand. You're losing me here, Bella. I thought you see him at work?"

"Well, sort of," Bella vaguely responded. She could immediately tell this would not pacify Alice, as her friend merely pursed her lips and arched a single eyebrow in Bella's direction. Bella took a deep breath and began to fill Alice in on the mysterious lion-like man in the corner office. It was a favorite topic for Bella, at least in her own mind. She found it to be slightly more difficult to communicate the glory of Edward's perfection to Alice without sounding like a stalker.

Then again, maybe she was. She could be okay with that if it meant she got more Edward.

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Alice said as she pushed her plate away from her and settled back into her seat. "After you got the kick-ass promotion and were able to leave the holy terror Victoria, you moved upstairs into a new plush office with a view of the building next to you." Alice paused and waited for Bella to confirm the story so far. Bella's head nodded and Alice continued, "so you're looking for some files or something or other one day for the harpy and look out the window to see this hot guy at his window staring at you?"

Again, Bella nodded. She was just as baffled by that part as Alice seemed to be. "So then, you guys share like, a moment? Then he disappears for weeks, you don't have another window thing and you think this is your fault?" Another affirmative nod from Bella causes Alice to shake her own head in what Bella thinks might be disbelief and sigh as she finishes the recap.

"Then, yesterday, you see him again. He looks pissy and you get freaked and then make a sign? To say hi. And he copies your idea and does the same. So now you are all Jill-over-the-hill for him and you haven't even physically been in the same place with him let alone heard his voice?"

Hearing the story told back to her did make Bella feel foolish. How could she be having feelings for a man she didn't even know? And she did seem to have feelings for him, unexplained, unjustified feelings but feelings none the less. Bella worried what her friend would think of her. The situation was ridiculous, Bella had to admit. Yet something told her, somewhere deep within, this could be something more. And more was all Bella was looking for.

"I know it seems crazy," Bella began to justify.

"It is crazy," Alice proclaimed.

"It is crazy," Bella conceded. "But Al, there is just something about him.I-... I can't explain it right. I know I don't know him, hell I only know his name is Edward but I just... feel it. I feel it, you know?" Bella turned her brown eyes pleadingly onto Alice's hazel ones, begging her to understand.

"I do, Bell, I get it," Alice said while stretching a hand to gently squeeze Bella's across the table. "Now we just need to make sure you actually meet the man."

Bella let a laugh fall from her lips in both relief her best friend didn't think she was certifiable and in jest, as only Alice would proceed so recklessly from one emotion to the next.

"Don't you laugh, Bella Swan. This is serious, this Edward could be it for you. Now you just give me a little bit of time and I'll work some of my magic," Alice said with an impish grin. Bella didn't know if she should be grateful or scared. Alice had magic, of that Bella was sure. What she wasn't sure of was if the magic wasn't sometimes black.

But what could it hurt? It's not like Bella had any other plan. And knowing Alice as she did, Bella felt sure that by the end of the week something else would come along and distract her from her mission. If all else failed, Bella would unleash her secret weapon on Alice- Jasper Hale.

The man could charm anyone to distraction and Bella had a feeling Alice would be no different. In fact, if she really thought about Jasper would be perfect for Alice...

Bella smiled to herself at her own plan. Yes, it would be quite fun to turn the table on Alice.

The friends finished up their meal and spent a few more hours together, with Alice still making plans on how to unite Bella and Edward for a legitimate meeting. Bella allowed Alice to drag her around to a few shops along the square for some light shopping. The friends continued to chat about how to meet the mysterious Edward and get a real conversation out of him. It would be nice to hear his voice, Bella had to admit, but she also actually enjoyed the little dance they had been conducting so far.

It was unusual, mysterious, exciting, and entirely unlike anything she had ever done before. Bella liked that it was so different, it appealed to her inner budding writer. It was something untold and unfolding before her in mystical ways. She was ecstatic to be one of the main characters in this story and didn't think a rewrite was needed at the moment. But if Alice wanted to plan, Bella would let her. There wasn't much Bella wouldn't do for her best friend and these little plans wouldn't hurt anyone. Especially since Bella didn't intend to use them. She'd just leave that detail out.

Bella found herself in another state of flutter Monday morning. She was unsure what to do with herself as she entered her office that morning. Bella was desperate for another interaction with Edward yet she couldn't help but think it had to have been a one time thing. She had talked herself into a frenzy the whole of Sunday, repeating the situation in her head over and over. It was a hard thing to believe if you were Bella Swan.

Gorgeous men like Edward just didn't see her , ever, in any way and it was these types of thoughts which formed on Sunday and currently bombarded her brain this morning.

Bella tired to think positively. She heard Alice's words of advice continuously play in her head, _'Just take a chance, Bella. You'll never know if you don't try.'_

She laughed to herself at how easy Alice had made it seem. Bella had grown up a lot since she and Alice had first met in college but there were still times Bella found herself to be that shy coed, sitting alone with a book in the cafeteria. Alice had bounded in to her life that day and hadn't skipped out since, for which Bella was profoundly grateful. She appreciated the effortless way Alice had coaxed her out of her shell but Bella was still a turtle and needed the comfort of that thick protective coat now and again. Reaching out to Edward on Friday, as small as it had been, was already a feat as far as she was concerned.

So Bella decided to wait. She reasoned with herself that she had made the first move by making the initial sign and she would let the bronze haired, lion like man of mystery make the next. Edward should make the next move, she reasoned. He was the man after all. Bella chuckled at the Victorian era thought for a moment before turning her focus to the looming windows. When did they become so threatening?

Flustered, trembling hands pulled the blinds back to reveal the opposing building across the street. Bella was nervous for many reasons, fear of rejection being one of them. She knew it was silly, after all she had never had interactions with him so early in the day. But she couldn't help but hope there would be something there, even if it was just a view of him sitting at his desk.

Bella was therefore disappointed when she pulled her blinds open and looked over to Edward's corner office. His office lights were on but it appeared empty, which wasn't anything new. Bella's heart sunk lower into her chest, the fluttering hummingbird wing-like beats slowing to a much more normal rhythm. A deep sigh escaped her full lips as she gazed into the glass windows of Edward's world. She had gotten her hopes up, unrealistically of course, but the hope had still been there.

Bella closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts. She was being silly. The truth was Edward hardly appeared in his office at a regular time before, why would today be different? And given how much he had been gone recently it was even more ludicrous to think he would magically start keeping normal work hours simply because she had said hello to him. Ridiculous.

Bella shook her head to clear away the childish thoughts. So he wasn't there, it didn't mean anything. He was clearly a busy man and so was she. Well, not a man but she was busy. She had important work things to do. Those numbers and figures wouldn't sort themselves out... no matter how much she often wished they would.

Bella turned back to her desk and proceeded with her day as normally as she possibly could. Of course her newest routine of normal included surreptitious look out her window to the glass planes across the street.

It was sometime later in the morning when one of these not so covert glances provided her with the sight she had been most desiring to see.

There was Edward.

Looking out his windows. At her.

He looked as handsome as ever in his gray suit, white button up shirt with the sleeves already pushed up and skinny black tie loosened slightly around his neck. His tousled and crazy bronze hair was in its usual disarray and his mouth was quirked into what Bella could only describe as a crooked grin. It was heart stopping at this distance and she briefly worried what effect it could have on her up close.

Bella felt a warm rush of blood engulf her cheeks as she peered at him. She returned his smile and added her own small, fluttering wave. She felt her heart stutter for a second when he gave a full smile and wave of his own. He then picked up a piece of paper from his desk and held it out for her to read.

He had made his sign first today. The knowledge sent tingles through Bella's body.

'Good morning.'

Bella quickly fashioned her own sign to respond. 'Good morning to you.'

'Good weekend?'

'Yes, yours?'

'Good. Needed more rest.' Bella couldn't help but laugh at his sign. She didn't know what he did but she could see it drained him. She quickly scribbled a message and held it up for him.

'Work that bad?'

'Sometimes. Not much lately.'

'Why so?' Bella questioned. She was happy he seemed to be liking his job more, she hoped it would gave him peace of mind. The weeks she had watched him unbeknown to him, _but NOT stalking,_ he had seemed very upset and angry. If that was gone now, all the better. Even if she would miss his lion-like tendencies.

'Have a better view now.'

Well that didn't make much sense. Bella couldn't determine his words meaning.

She attempted to study his face but found it confusing as well. She didn't know Edward well so she couldn't be sure what the look meant. She would hazard a guess it was either flirty or smirky. Probably both.

"Ms. Swan, Mr. Hale says you're needed in the conference room for a staff meeting," a female voice broke Bella from her Edward induced daze.

Peeking into her office was Bree, a young intern for the company. Bella did a quick assessment of Bree's demeanor and decided she hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. Bella was extremely grateful for this, she would not know how to explain her sign conversations to anyone else. And she definitely wouldn't be explaining Edward.

He was still hers.

"Thanks Bree, tell Mr. Hale I'll be right down." Bella sent the girl a placid smile and turned to her desk and pretended to straighten the papers there. Bree quickly left the doorway and made her way down the hall presumably to get the other staff into the conference room. Quickly, Bella wrote another note for Edward and flashed it up for him to read.

'Got a meeting. Sorry!'

Edward waved a hand to her as if to say 'no problem' and gifted her with another one of his charming smiles. Bella's heart thrummed once more at the sight and she quickly waved goodbye before turning and walking down the corridor to the conference room.

Bella was sure she wouldn't be able to keep the grin off her face for the next hour.

**A/N: So what did you think? I know, not a lot of B&E interaction but we needed to know a little bit more about Bella. I promise the next chapter will be all most all B&E. It will probably be the last chapter as well. And with my summer classes finishing next week, hopefully it won't take long to get out! **

**I'm sure you'll find something to do with your time like, oh I don't know... ****watch Eclipse**** since it will finally be out! Until next time...**


	4. Glass Cracked Windows

_In case anyone forgot for some strange reason: I don't own Twilight and make no profit from these words/works. _

**Glass Cracked Windows**

The meeting was boring. Bella hated them all, each and every time. They seemed to drain all of the happiness, light, and joy out of the world. In the past this hadn't weighed so heavily on Bella but today she was filled with so much light she could have been neon. And it was all thanks to Edward.

_Edward_. Just the thought of his name had her sighing like a thirteen year old school girl with her first celebrity crush. And what a crush it was.

Bella continued to barely listen to the meeting going on around her. Really, it wasn't Bella's fault her mind was elsewhere. Even just the brief encounter with Edward early had left her in a tailspin. Though the conversation had been short, it had meant so much to Bella.

He had sought her out this time. Edward had been waiting for her, wanting to talk to her. Bella wasn't alone in this... whatever it was. She couldn't keep the smile from tripping across her lips at the thought. Edward had to feel something for her as well. Even if it was nothing more than a desire for a friend, it was _something_. _Something _was something Bella could live with.

With these thoughts and feelings filling Bella's entire being, it was no wonder she couldn't focus on the drivel being spouted out around her. And frankly, she didn't give a damn. The only thing which did matter to her was getting back to her office. More specifically, getting back to Edward. Bella hoped they might be able to have another 'talk' before the day was finished.

Bella's brown eyes turned to look out the window of the conference room without conscious thought. Clearly Edward was on the brain and thoughts of him always lead her eyes to the nearest window in hopes of getting just a peek of his handsome face, whether she was at work or not.

It was much to her surprise when she noted, quite happily, that Edward's office was utterly visible from her current vantage point. She had completely forgotten the conference room's position in the building, up one floor and at the far right of the building, sitting directly across from her favorite office view. The best part might just be the large windows that adorned the walls, giving Bella one of the best views of Edward she had had to date. He was as handsome as ever.

Bella's heart fluttered once more at being able to see him, even now. She found herself honing in on his window, praying for him to turn around and face her. She also wished she would have picked a seat closer to said windows, if only to afford her a better, closer view of her glass lion.

"So we will need to really focus on this term's quarterly figures. You've been doing a great job but corporate is just not happy with where we are right now. They're really pushing us to up these numbers. They've even mentioned personal shifts if..." Jasper's voice was droning on from what seemed some distance to Bella's ears. She really couldn't find it within herself to give him her full attention. Not with this newest development.

Bella couldn't help but wonder what other windows she might be able to see Edward from. Even though such a thought should make her feel a bit creepy, she just didn't. It wasn't a choice for Bella anymore, she craved Edward. Craved contact with him in any form whether he was aware of it or not. Bella continued to stare across the room and out the window to Edward's office, boring her eyes into his back. It didn't take long before her wish was granted.

Edward turned in his chair and faced the windows behind him. It gave Bella's heart pause when she noted he turned towards her office window and looked at it with what she could only hope was longing. A small smile crested her lips at the implication of what such a look on Edward's face could mean. Yes, she wasn't in this alone anymore.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, Edward turned once again but this time in the direction of the conference room. A broad smile broke across Edward's face as his eyes fell upon Bella. He waved to her again and Bella desperately wanted to respond to his gesture but couldn't when surrounded by all these people. She watched as Edward turned around and hastily scribbled a sign before holding it up.

'Want 2 play a game?'

Bella blanched. He wanted to play a game? While she was in a meeting? He could see she wasn't in a position to do anything right now. What was he thinking? Bella attempted to communicate her frustration with a small shake of her head, hoping he would understand.

Edward merely held up another sign. 'It will be fun!'

Bella shook her head once more. She couldn't play games, she was at work for pete's sake! Well, okay she was always at work when she saw him. But not in a meeting like now!

Edward simply turned once more, scribbled on another sheet of paper and held it up for Bella again, this time with a crooked grin gracing his face.

And there was her kryptonite. His crooked smile.

Bella rolled her eyes, not really caring if Edward could see the action or not before giving him a small but affirmative nod at the game he wanted to play.

She wasn't sure how she was going to play tic-tac-toe with Edward from her building, let alone in the middle of a meeting, but she would give it her best go.

Edward had already marked an 'X' on the middle square so Bella was the 'O's. She looked at Edward and his crooked, boyish smile and tired to mentally will her move into his brain. It didn't work. Apparently Edward wasn't telepathic. Either that or he simply couldn't read her mind. It would be so much easier if he could, Bella mused.

Edward seemed to understand the difficultly Bella was having in getting her intended move across and took pity on her, pointing at the spaces on the board she could move to. Bella smiled at him when he got to the one she wanted and nodded her head slightly. They continued in this manner for a few minutes, Edward marking the spaces he wanted before pointing out options for Bella. It was light and fun and just what Bella needed to get through another awful meeting.

It was even more fun when Bella won and she barely contained the chuckles threatening to escape from her throat. The playful pout Edward gave her across the way sent her barely controlled heart into a tizzy. Bella could feel her pulse racing. What she wouldn't give to be able to kiss that pout away.

In an instant, the playfulness of the moment shifted as Edward and Bella's eyes connected across the distance. Bella gasped slightly at the intense look he wore. She was fairly sure it matched her on. Her breathing hitched monetarily and she lost all awareness of anything and everything that wasn't Edward.

It didn't last long unfortunately as Bella was sharply brought out of her Edward induced haze by the soft calling of her name and a sharp elbow to her ribs.

"Ow," she muttered as she rubbed her now sore torso and proceeded to give Angela, her attacker, a sharp glare. "What was that for?" she harshly whispered.

"Mike Newton is staring at you. Like your something to eat," Angela whispered back furiously beside her. "And unless you've changed your mind about him, I suggest you quit looking at him like you'd be okay with that." Angela gave Bella a meaningful look as she sat up in her seat once again and turned back to Mr. Hale's speech.

Bella was appalled. Clearly she hadn't realized all the emotions she was feeling inside for Edward were playing across her face. And since no one knew about her window friendship with Edward, or the resulting feelings of it, it appeared Bella had been giving Mike those intense and intimate looks as he sat across from her during the meeting.

Bella was fairly sure she might vomit.

Just the thought of dating Mike Newton... ew. No and thank you. It just couldn't be stomached. He was just not attractive to her, his round face and dyed blond hair did nothing for him. His blue eyes didn't help at all. Bella found them to be flat and dull, no matter what he was saying. If she was being honest, she loved green eyes more than any other type but even those wouldn't have helped Mike get a date with her.

Bella wasn't the type of woman to be shallow enough to only date a man based on his looks but sadly for Mike his personality lacked severely in her opinion as well, therefore rendering him an unappealing candidate for her. He just didn't seem to understand this. He repeatedly asked Bella out, even though she steadfastly refused him in every single advance.

Bella hoped this slip up, while completely unintentional, wouldn't increase the already high frequency of Mike's requests. Bella shuttered at the thought and not at all in a good way.

Bella cautiously peeked at Mike across the large black conference table and wasn't surprised to see him ogling her. She sighed.

Great. Just what she needed, Mike thinking he stood a chance. He would probably follow her around like a puppy now.

This was all Edward's fault. Bella flicked her gaze up and out the window towards Edward again. She narrowed her eyes and tightened her lips, attempting to show him she was not happy thanks to him.

Edward seemed taken aback by the sharp turn of her features and emotions directed at him. Bella felt her anger abate quickly, it wasn't really Edward's fault after all. The game had been fun and she had enjoyed getting to see the lightheartedness Edward displayed while they played. It was just unfortunate Mike had gotten the wrong impression.

Bella softened her face and smiled slightly at Edward. She was still irritated with the man but she wouldn't stay mad at him. It seemed impossible anyway.

She still planned on having words with him, via signs of course, later. There would be no more playing games during meetings. They were too distracting.

Oh who was she kidding, Edward himself was distracting. No matter what she was doing. However, she would need to remain somewhat professional, she attempted to tell herself.

Once the meeting dismissed, Bella high-tailed it out of the conference room and back down to her office. She didn't want to give Mike, or anyone else for that matter, an opportunity to question her on her odd behavior. And she needed to speak with Edward as well.

She was taken aback as she walked over to the window, ready to give Edward a piece of her mind only to find a sign already in place.

'Sorry if I got U in trouble.' He had also drawn a sad face underneath. it was incredibly sweet. Bella melted instantly.

Damn her weak resolve concerning this man.

Edward peeked his head around the corner of his windows, an uncertain look on his face. Bella could tell he felt apprehensive about her reaction to him but he needn't have feared. Bella had already forgiven him. Although she might mess with him just a little. He deserved it after all, since she would now be putting up with Mike's unwanted attention.

She quickly wrote out a sign for him to indicate her feelings.

'U R in trouble. BIG trouble.' Bella held the sign up to the light and placed a stern scowl on her face.

She watched as Edward's face fell, evidence of his true regret for having caused her problems. He walked over to his own desk and collected more paper for another sign.

'Is it bad? I'm SO sorry.'

As Bella persisted in her mocking glare, Edward once again held up another sign.

'Can I help?' Edward looked truly remorseful and the genuine feelings he displayed tugged at Bella's heart. This man was just to much.

He he was offering help for a problem he knew nothing about, and it really didn't even exist, when he didn't even know Bella. If it was possible to fall in love with someone without having ever spoken to them, or even knowing their last name, Bella did in that moment.

Her own guilt over the unnecessary guilt Edward was displaying began to weigh on Bella's consciousness. She decided to let him off the hook, if for no other reason than to see the enchanting smile return to his beautiful face.

'Hire a hit man?'

Bella let loose a laugh as she watched Edward's face rapidly change from remorse to confusion. He seemed quite baffled by Bella's remark so she elaborated.

'Mike thinks I was flirting. Wants 2 date now.' Bella held up the signs and smirked at Edward. Let's see what he had to say to that.

Bella once again was taken by surprise by the look on Edward's face. His confusion morphed into something else entirely, something much closer to anger she would assume. Why he would be angry she wasn't sure but his jaw had tightened and his eyes narrowed before he once again wrote his own sign.

'Mike dead. Done. Who else?'

Bella laughed and shook her head. She wasn't sure but she figured Edward was joking. His posture and face seemed serious but really, they were only kidding with each other. Well... she was fairly sure.

She would make sure Mike didn't walk out by himself, just in case. Not that she was going to accompany him but maybe Jasper could.

Bella rolled her eyes once more in Edward's direction and twisted her hand in a crazy motion to show Edward she was only playing. She wanted to lighten his mood. It seemed to work as he sent one of her favorite crooked grins her way, although the tightness of his expression didn't completely dissipate.

The days following days and weeks progressed in a similar manner, with Bella and Edward greeting each other when they both arrived at work with signs and waves to one another.

Throughout the day one of the two might hold up a sign with silly drawings on it to get the other to laugh. Bella's favorite one of those had been what Edward had claimed to be a drawing of a his boss but it oddly resembled more of a dragon. There were flames after all.

Bella's drawings were much simpler, happy faces or pictures of flowers. She had tried her hand at drawing a rendition of Edward but it really looked more like a stick figure on fire. She thought it was rather spot on, considering his hair did resemble a flame with it's wild disarray and copper tones.

Edward had laughed quite hard at the sketch from what Bella could tell. She had placed that particular sign on her beside table at home. It gave her great satisfaction to have something close to her at night that had given Edward such delight. It had nothing to do with her wanting him close to her at night...

Of course Bella enjoyed the conversations the two shared more than anything. Even though they had yet to exchange much personal information, she still felt close to him through the exchanges they did share. She had learned a good deal about Edward through their 'sign language.' He was very creative, his drawings always had an artistic flair she simply couldn't replicate. Edward was also funny in a very dry way, which matched well with Bella's own humor. They both shared a great deal in common, a love of books and music being a topic often 'signed' about.

The relationship building between Bella and Edward grew each day, strength Bella's confidence in herself. She rarely let those nastier people, like Victoria, get her down anymore with their insipid comments or actions. She was finding more joy in her work, limited as it was, because she was just generally happier. Jasper had even commented on it once or twice during their daily lunches, asking her what had caused such a shift but Bella remained silent on the subject. She still refused to share Edward with anyone.

This was possibly the reason that after a few months had passed since their initial encounter Bella no longer concerned herself with the reason why she and Edward still hadn't exchanged more personal information so they could contact each other away from the windows. She had decided this relationship with Edward was better than no relationship.

Edward seemed very melancholy one bright, sunny morning and it bothered Bella a great deal. Every since they had begun to 'talk' his mood had seemed to improve from the one she had first seen. Bella didn't really believe it had anything to do with her specifically, more likely he was having better luck at work. She couldn't deny a small part of her, buried deep down hoped it was her.

Still, most days Edward's mood radiate her own happiness back to her across their shared distance. He did seem to have a dip in attitude around mid day but she chalked that up to hunger. Most men, she had learned from her father, didn't have the best dispositions when their stomachs were empty. This was likely Edward's problem as when they returned from their lunches each afternoon so would Edward's happy consonance.

Then there was the part of Bella's mind which believed a man like Edward would never be interested in someone as plain and dull as herself. After all, he had still yet to ask for her number or even her last name. She truly was happy with their friendship most days, but the longer more they shared and got to know one another, the more Bella wanted.

It would be so easy too. A simple phone number shared or email address exchanged. They could have met for coffee in the shop around the corner or had lunch one day, if only he would _ask_. Bella would gladly forego her regular lunches with Jasper in her office to spend the time with Edward.

She knew she could ask Edward for the same information but her shy nature just wouldn't allow it. She had already made a large step forward in just speaking to him that first day, it would be up to Edward to take this relationship to the next level if he was so inclined.

Despite the reservations she had in advancing their relationship, Bella still wasn't able to see her lion upset such as he appeared to be on this day. She wanted to cheer him up but the silly drawings of animals and faces just didn't seem to be working. She decided a different approach would be better.

'Play a game?' she asked him. Edward smiled across the glass separating them and Bella wrote out her next sign.

'Truth or dare?'

'Dare.' Edward held up his sign with a devilish smirk on his face.

For a brief moment Bella thought about daring him to find her in her building but realized that wouldn't be good. Not only was it making a move but it was the middle of the work day. Instead she chose something a little easier but none the less thrilling. For her at least.

'Got iTunes?' Edward seemed confused by Bella's question but nodded his head in the affirmative anyway.

'Play this: Beautiful Life- Ace of Base'

Bella could tell Edward laughed out loud from her window as he read her suggestion. He obviously had heard of the band and shook his head 'no.' She persisted though. He did say dare.

'At top volume. Sing and dance!' Bella smiled widely at him as he continued to shake his head at her only now with his own smile reflecting back. Bella was even more delighted when he stood up from his desk a few moments later and proceed to fulfill his dare.

Edward bopped around his desk, hair flopping about and hands flailing in motion, mouth wide open and singing. Watching him shimmy and shake his lovely behind was definitely a highlight of the week for Bella. The breath stealing smile he radiated out after he was done was just icing on her already sweet cake.

Once Edward had completed his task, he gave Bella her favorite smile before showing her his sign.

'Truth or dare?' he questioned.

Bella wasn't about to shake her tail feathers, she was likely to sprain an ankle with her luck, so she picked truth.

'Tell me something you love.'

Edward's sign was shocking for Bella. She had no idea why he would be interested in knowing something like that about her but she would play by the rules. He did just complete her dare.

Bella picked up the her now well loved black marker and wrote one word across the white sheet of paper on her desk.

'Words.'

'Writing, or just reading?'

'Mostly reading. Some writing.' Bella explained. Edward seemed to take this information in with great care.

'Writing suits you perfectly.' Bella blushed at his compliment.

It pleased Bella to know he didn't find her answer to be odd or childish. It wouldn't have been the first time that had happened. Here she had been trying to cheer him up and he unknowingly gives her this gift. Her cheek's heated with a blush at his words. Edward was beyond sweet to her most days.

'Is that what U do now?' his next sign asked.

'I work with numbers.' Bella held up her sign with some disgust. She really wished she could tell him she was a writer since it was her dream job. She found herself wanting to share all of her dreams with him.

Edward appeared to study her for another moment, taking in the expression on her face before writing once more.

'Follow your heart. Always.' Edward held the sign up against the window with one hand has he pressed his other to the glass for a moment before he used one long, pale, slender finger to trace the outline of a heart against the clear glass as he stared intently at her.

Bella could feel her heart swell at his words and actions yet again. It was the single most loving thing someone had ever told her. She was at an utter loss of how to respond to something like that.

'What do you love?' Bella returned the question quickly before she could become to overcome with the growing feelings she had for him.

She watched as Edward deliberated his answer. He ran his long fingers through his disheveled hair several times as he cocked his head to the side while thinking, pursing his beautiful lips. Bella found her eyes drawn to the physical perfection of his from as he turned back to his desk to write.

His body was long and lean and from what she could tell very well muscled but not overtly. And the clothes he wore..., dear Lord. It was if they had been created specifically for him, to show off every perfect line of his body. His suit on this day was deep navy blue, almost black with a crisp white button up underneath his jacket. He had started the day in an azure blue tie but after his dancing, had removed it and loosened the collar and top few buttons. Bella had very nearly lost her mind when she was able to see the smooth pale skin hidden there.

Bella was pulled from her perusal of his fine form by his sign. She laughed lightly at his words. His answer was similar to her own in that it barely gave anything new away.

'Music'

'Writing, listening or dancing?' she couldn't help but quip back.

'Writing and listening. Not much dancing' he replied. Bella shook her head and had started to write a retort about his earlier activities when he stopped her with another sign.

'I'd like it more with you.'

Bella's blush couldn't be contained at his words. She felt the heat from her head to the tips of her toes. She felt butterflies take flight in her body, their wings beating against the walls of her stomach. Bella raised a hand to the wildly pounding organ in her chest as she gazed at Edward.

She couldn't take her eyes off of him in that moment. The sun in the sky pierced the glass of his corner office windows, bathing him in a warm yellow glow. She had never seen him look so breath taking, so masculine, and so full of an emotion she was afraid to name. She was afraid because it looked a lot like what she thought was love.

"Bella, what are you doing?" a voice called to her, breaking the spell once more cast by Edward. "Are you looking at who I think you're looking at?"

Bella whipped around quickly as she heard Alice begin to enter her office. Bella should have known the sprite would show up eventually and attempt to see Edward. Bella loved Alice dearly, but she did not feel like now was the time to show her Edward. Bella still wasn't sure what had just happened between the two of them but having Alice visually accost him wouldn't help the matter.

"Nothing, Alice. I uh,.. um..." Bella attempted to lie. "I was just watching the sky.. I heard it might storm?" Bella's excuse came out sounding more like a question than a statement of truth. Damn her inability to lie properly.

"Not likely, sister. Let me see this hunk of yours," Alice said as she tried to push past Bella to get to the windows.

Before Alice could make it Bella quickly reached for the strings and pulled the blinds closed. Alice stopped short and turned to Bella with a sharp glare.

"Come on Bella! How can I help you with this if you won't let me look. I just want a peek. You should share they eye candy," Alice huffed out.

"He's not here today!" Bella shouted. She was desperate to get Alice off of her current train of thought.

"Who's not here?" came a strong and slow voice from the doorway. "And why am I not eye candy, Swan?" he finished before he fully entered Bella's office.

Bella and Alice both turned from each other's locked stares and towards the voice belonging to Mr. Hale. Bella looked at her friend and watched as Alice's eyes took on a glazed look while roaming over Jasper's form.

Yes! Jasper! He would be the perfect distraction for Alice. Why hadn't she remembered him earlier? This would be best way to get Alice off the Edward path.

And judging by the looks both Alice and Jasper were giving one another, it wouldn't be difficult to do. Bella smirked a crooked grin of her own at the plan forming in her mind.

"Oh, you are sugar, you definitely are," Alice piped up. Bella was a little shocked to hear Alice's Mississippi accent slip out. That usually only happened when Alice was three sheets to the wind or extremely excited.

Even more shocking was the red that tipped Jasper's ears as he stared back at Alice. Bella couldn't remember ever seeing the man blush. And they had watched a couple across the street become _very_ intimate! And yet, little Alice Brandon had gone and done it.

"Well thank you. I'd have to say you're not quite bad yourself," Jasper replied as he took Alice's right hand to place a kiss there. It was Alice's turn to blush now.

Oh yes, getting Alice to divert her attention from Edward to Jasper was going to be easy as pie, Bella had no doubts. Now to just get them both out of her office so she could get back to Edward and their conversation.

"Alice, this is my boss and old friend Jasper Hale," Bella said. "Jasper, meet my best friend Alice Brandon."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Alice."

"And yours, Jasper." Alice then turned to face Bella, her mouth dropping open and her eyes widening. Bella knew this look meant something along the lines of 'Oh holy mother of mercy, this man is fine!' Years of Alice silent speak had taught Bella well.

"So Alice, Jasper and I usually eat lunch right about now, would you like to join us?" Bella questioned. Alice quickly regathered her composure and turned back to face Jasper and Bella properly.

"I'd love to, Bella! Where should we go? How about something spicy, I could really go for some Indian food," Alice accepted without ever taking her hazel eyes from Jasper.

"Indian sounds good to me. I love spicy things," Jasper said with a wink in Alice's direction. Bella could barely contain her eye roll at his cheesy line but it seemed to work for Alice.

"Well hold on to your boots Mr. Hale, cause I've got plenty of hot and spicy for you," Alice remarked as she wove her arm through Jasper's and headed towards the door to leave. "Coming Bell?" she called back without looking.

"I'm right behind you guys," Bella said with a chuckle. Before she left, she returned to the now closed blinds and opened them up. She was hoping she might get a chance to see Edward again before she left. His last comment was still clouding her mind and warming her heart.

As Bella cast her eyes to her favorite spot across the way, she smiled a bright smile for the man she couldn't wait to see again. Now that he had made his feelings more clear, Bella was ready to really connect with him. If he was willing, she would offer for them to meet or at the least exchange numbers so they could talk properly.

The sight of Edward's office windows covered by thick, brown slats of wooden blinds was jarring. Never had Bella seen his windows closed off from her. Even when he had been gone those many weeks before his pristine glass windows remained open. Now that portal to him, to the connection they shared, was closed.

Bella didn't understand. Only minutes before they had been laughing and sharing, reveling secrets to one another. What had caused him to disappear and shut her out?

The sting of his rejection was deep. Bella felt it's burn arch across her body and shatter her glass heart. Tears pricked the corner of her dark eyes and her breath shuddered out in small gasps.

This was all so unfair. What had happened? Bella just couldn't understand. One minute he was caring, and sweet and lov.. the next, this. It made no sense.

"Bella, let's go!" Alice voice pierced the air. Bella shook her head and hastily whipped the few tears which had slipped down her cheeks. Turning away from the once refuge of corner office glass, Bella grabbed her small purse and walked purposely out of her office to follow Jasper and Alice.

She wouldn't let some silly man get the better of her. He meant nothing, what they had been doing was merely a game. Silly really, she was a grown woman. Besides, Edward was distracting her from more important things...like work. She would not allow herself to seek him out again.

This new resolve in place, Bella walked out of her building to meet her friends on the street below. Although the sun was still shining Bella felt no warmth from the late spring day. The light had been turned off with the closing of Edward's wooden shades.

What Bella had failed to see before she abruptly closed her blinds earlier was the sign Edward had pressed against the large, clear window. It now lied against the glass, slightly bent over on the edge making it hard to see or read.

Had Bella seen the sign, either when Edward first held it up or as it sat along the floor she may have understood his reaction.

The sign simply read 'Want to meet?'

**A/N: Well my loves, I hope you aren't upset with me. This is not the last chapter even though I had only intended there to be four total. This one just got away from me both in length and direction. But I liked it and so another chapter you shall have. It will be the last one (at least from Bella's POV).**

**I also know this chapter took some time to get out but teaching a dyslexia class for summer school took precedence. That is over now so I'm confident I'll be able to write more soon. **

**Review if you can, they help me to write better and faster *wink wink*!**


	5. Glass Etched Hearts

**Glass Etched Hearts**

Never before had Bella felt so hollow. Even when her parents had split up, her mother moving to Phoenix to start a new life and leaving Bella behind, did she feel so low.

Even then though, after all the heartache and abandonment Bella had experienced, both as a young girl and more recently as a young adult she had never felt the sharp burn as profoundly as she did now. For reasons she both didn't understand and was unwilling to admit, this was somehow worse.

Her parent's actions were things she could reason about, find understanding from. Her mother had been nothing more than an overgrown child herself. Renee had married too young and gave birth when she had no business being a mother as she could barely take care of herself. So she did what she always did, she gave up and did what was best for her. It just didn't include being a part of a family or being a mommy anymore. And Bella had learned to be okay with that. It took some time but she had accepted it.

Charlie's loss was profound and altering for Bella, as losing a parent to death always is for a child. Yet it was understandable, the reason was known to Bella. Charlie had smoked close to a pack a day of cigarettes for nearly thirty years and it was only a matter of time before lung cancer took him. While this was something Bella could grasp, it didn't make losing him any less hard. What did was having the time to adjust to the idea of him no longer being available to her. He was able to get his affairs in order and work out a lot of details which would be needed for after his final day. Most importantly he and Bella had been able to really open up and share with one another in ways they hadn't before. Bella was able to hear how much he loved her and wanted her to follow her dreams and how he prayed she would be loved like she was the most precious gift, because to him she was. Bella had been able to say goodbye.

With Edward none of this happened.

She had absolutely no explanation for why he suddenly changed his opinion of her. She was unable to fathom what it was in their conversation that day to have so abruptly changed his mind. True, they had shared a very significant moment, or so she thought, but she had been so sure the change was positive but then... why were his blinds still closed?

Bella had tried her best to hide any feelings of hurt, confusion, or disappoint from Alice and Jasper during lunch. She attempted to reason that perhaps Edward had closed the blinds for a presentation or a private meeting and they would be reopened when she got back. Bella didn't want to concern Alice or Jasper with her idle thoughts, so she put on a good game face and ate lunch as though she didn't have a care in the world. It was lucky for her the twosome were so wrapped up in one another to notice just how off Bella was. She really didn't have a game face.

When Bella once again found herself in her office, she delayed. Bella visited with Angela in her cubicle to catch up on office gossip. Apparently Mike had finally moved on and begun hassling a data collector, Jenna Marcusin. Jenna didn't seem to mind the attention, Angela and Bella agreed she must not be all to bright. Rumor also suggested the company was planning on going through with personal changes as Jasper had mentioned during a meeting a few months back. Whether those changes would be of the good or bad kind remained to be seen. Shortly after this Bella left Angela to her ringing phone and work but had no intention of going back to her own just yet.

The small office kitchen was fairly empty by this time of day so Bella found herself getting a glass of water and sipping it slowly. She let her mind drift blank, keeping any thoughts which dared pass through to be work oriented. She really needed to start applying herself more if the rumor were true. While she didn't love her work at CompuCon she still needed the money. As much as her heart longed to write, longing didn't pay the bills. Longing didn't do a lot of things to be quite honest.

When it became clear to Bella all these distractions wouldn't be able to last she once more took to her office. Upon arrival she was able to do a few more little things to keep her from her main source of discontent. She tided up the few folders and sheets of paperwork on her desk. She put files away in storage for accounts that had been completed and wouldn't be needed again for awhile. As she began to straighten her pens and pencils she glanced upon her beloved black maker lying atop a stack of clean, white sheets of paper. The utensils gave her pause and forced her to confront the elephant in her office. It was time to check the window.

Her heart broke again. Edward's blinds were still pulled tightly closed. Whatever was behind his jarring action still seemed to be present. Bella once again felt she was the reason for it. She just didn't understand why. She hoped whatever had come between them would be gone by the next day.

The dark wooden slats remained closed up and kept Edward closed off for the remainder of the week. Bella was unable to see him, his laughing smile, his leaning frame, or hunched shoulders as he scribbled a new sign or worked at his large desk. She didn't she him running his long fingers agitatedly through his copper tresses, didn't get to enjoy his crooked grin or dancing fingers along the glass walls of his world.

Bella wasn't able to laugh at his jokes, get any song suggestions to listen to or see his friendly wave hello in the morning or his hand pressed to the window in a somber goodbye at the end of the day. Edward and his beautiful face, the light he brought to her day, the carefree ease and feelings of confidence she had garnered under his kind words and thoughts spoken across the street no longer filled Bella.

Instead she was hollow. By the close of Friday, with still no sight of Edward, Bella had resolved to be finished with these outrageous feelings by the following work week. She shouldn't, couldn't, wouldn't have these emotions tormenting her anymore after the weekend. Not over a man she didn't know.

She may have thought so but clearly she had been wrong. It was time to move past this. And really, she was more upset about not talking to a stranger through the window than the loss of her own father or mother?

No, she just needed to get a grip on reality and move on. It seemed to be what Edward had done and so now would she.

At her apartment that weekend Bella put away all reminders of Edward. Each sign she had carefully tacked up was taken down and put away in a folder to be shoved into the very back of her upper most shelf in the far corner of her closet. The hand sketched picture of Edward which had remained by her bed was tucked out of sight to be put out of mind. Bella allowed herself one single crying session, just the one, as she hid away these once precious memories. After her collection of notes and feelings were placed in their new home Bella turned off any other emotion she felt to the situation. It was done and she would be fine now.

Weeks followed as Bella muddled through each day. Mondays bled into Thursdays without her being aware of it. She threw herself into her work, focusing any extra energy she could spare from not thinking about her buried hurt onto the projects and clients at her job. Bella didn't spend much time outside of her desk space, except to eat in the small kitchen now instead of at her desk. She didn't speak to anyone beyond pleasantries and only attempted those when forced.

Bella had very few visitors anymore as everyone had taken to giving her a wide berth in the office. Even Victoria was giving Bella space, though it was probably due to the lack of ability to sink Bella any lower than she already was. It saddened many of the other employees to see the young woman appear to age so much when only just a short time before she had been thriving and full of life. Now her radiance had dimmed.

This is how Alice found Bella's office blinds to be closed themselves several weeks later when she came in for a visit to see her best friend and the love of her life, Jasper Hale. Of course Alice didn't want to be a completely horrible friend so she stopped into Bella's office first.

Bella was surprised to see Alice perched in her doorway. Looking up from her screen, she allowed her eyes to refocus from the glaring white background of her computer to the warm smile which graced Alice's cherry red lips.

"Hey Alice." Bella offered her own watered down version of a smile. "What's up?"

Bella watched as her friend's face fell from smiling to confused as she peered around the office. Her hazel eyes took in the darkened state of the room and looked to the window to find the reason. Bella only allowed her eyes to follow Alice's briefly until she was able to determine where they would land before she ripped them back to the screen in front of her, a much safer place for them to rest.

"Bell, why are the blinds closed?" Alice's chiming voice questioned. "Doesn't that make 'sky watching' more difficult?" she said teasingly.

"I don't watch the sky anymore Alice," came Bella's short reply. She really didn't want to get into this right now. She was really on a roll with this current account. Regretfully, Alice seemed unaware of this fact as she pushed for more information.

"Since when? Last time I was here, you looked so excited and happy you were about ready to jump out that window and fly across the street. What gives?" she said as she came further into the office, pulling the door closed behind her.

Bella released a deep sigh. This wasn't something she wanted to talk about to anyone, let alone her now love struck friend. Unfortunately she knew Alice wouldn't let this go. She could be a bulldog about certain things, Bella's happiness being one of them. While it usually made Bella feel loved right now she just felt smothered.

"I'm just not spending my time that way anymore, Alice. It was getting in the way of work and I can't let that happen." Bella did her best to put some inflection and meaning behind her words but could tell the desired affect fell flat of its goal.

"Nuh-uh, not buying. Do I look like someone who just met you? Like I don't know what you look like when you're passionate about something? Cause I do," she admonished. "And this job Bella, you aren't passionate about it. You never have been. In fact, I can think of very few things I've ever seen you truly passionate and excited about."

Alice came behind the mahogany desk and grabbed Bella's arm forcing her to look into her eyes. Bella had been told by more than one person how much her eyes gave her away and she knew Alice was seeing it all now.

"Did something happen between you two, Bell?" Alice asked softly after a few moments.

"Alice, its nothing."

"I know I haven't been around lately but Bella, I'm always here for you," Alice eye's pleaded along with her voice. "Just talk to me."

Bella took a deep breath in and held it for a few seconds to gather her thoughts and try to put them into some type of order. When she was ready she turned to Alice and let the story spill out, much like she had done at their lunch all those months ago. Only this time, the story was ending on a much more somber note.

"I just don't understand... we seemed to be getting along so well. I mean, we have so much in common Ali! We like the same bands, the same movies, books... just so much. He made me laugh, Alice, so much." Bella shook her head at the memories she had been holding at bay which now played across her mind's eye like a movie screen.

"He use to draw the silliest pictures if I was having a bad day, just so I'd smile. And they would be awful too, like so bad even though he was actually really good. But my pictures always looked so kindergarten and he would tease me and I ... I just.." Bella blew out a breathe of air as her head dropped to her chest and squeezed her eyes tightly.

Alice reached across the small distance to wrap Bella in her arms, embracing her in a strong hug as Bella continued her story.

"He just shut me out, Ali. One minute we were laughing and teasing then he said the sweetest thing ever. When I told him about writing, he encouraged me! I couldn't believe it. No one has ever encouraged me to do that and it felt so good..." the words tumbled from her mouth without her realizing what all she was saying.

"And then he said he would dance with me and it was so sweet, my heart was beating so fast and then you came in and I didn't know what to do and then after you left.. he was gone... just gone. He's been gone since," her voice shook and trembled as the weight of that heavy afternoon resettled on her shoulders and heart.

"Shh.. it's okay Bell, it's okay. I'm so sorry I ruined that for you," Alice crooned while running her fingers in Bella's hair. "We can fix this, I'll fix this."

"No! There isn't anything to fix!" Bella shot up from her crumbled position and looked at Alice frantically. "He doesn't feel the same, I just want to leave it at that. I've moved on."

"Bell, you haven't moved on, just-"

"I have Alice! I don't even look at the windows anymore. It's over," Bella protested while wiping away the few stray tears which had escaped.

"Bella, sweetie, I'm not trying to upset you. It just seems like this is proof you aren't as okay as you think."

Bella wanted to say something about Alice's lack of support in the past few weeks but couldn't bring herself to. What would be the point when she was clearly right? Bella wasn't okay and she needed help.

"What should I do?"

"Do what feels right, Bell. Don't do what you think you should or what makes the most sense because those things are hardly ever right. What you need to do is what is best for you," Alice encouraged. "You should apply that to work too. If this place isn't right anymore, then don't stay. You are so much bigger and better than this."

Bella nodded her head in understanding. Alice gave her another reassuring hug before she stood to leave Bella to her thoughts. It was well known that Bella needed time to process things.

"Oh and Bella," Alice spoke as she stopped in the doorway. "If you're having trouble deciding what's right, there is one sure fire way to figuring it out." Alice paused and waited until Bella would meet her eyes before speaking again.

"Follow your heart. Always."

With those words vibrating in the stillness of the room Bella watched Alice leave. She was a bit shell shocked. For Alice to use those words, the exact same Edward used, had a profound effect on her. Maybe they were both right and it was time to listen to her heart.

Bella's heart was a very stoic organ apparently. It didn't seem to like talking or at least not in a language Bella could understand. As she progressed through the following week, with more talks with Alice and time for reflection she found some clarity and was able to start thinking about what she wanted for her life, both professionally and emotionally.

The insights she had gained during the week were put to the test rather quickly. It appeared management had taken notice of Bella's hard work and improvement of client figures in the recent months. As changes were being made throughout the company, now seemed like the time to give Bella another promotion, this time to a fast track position which would eventually make her VP of the entire department.

When Jasper had come to her office Friday morning to deliver the good news, Bella was dismayed. She had never considered such a promotion possible for her. She knew she was good at her job but she didn't love it. The passion had never been there. She was honored, of course, but was being a VP of CompuCon what she really wanted to do for the rest of her life?

Bella deliberated her options over the weekend. She could take the new title and go on working at CompuCon in the safe and comfortable pattern her life had already taken. She would be well paid, more power over her assignments, and not ever have to worry about not being good enough at work.

Or she could quit and do something she really wanted do, write. This was where her passion was, where she felt the most drawn. Whenever she thought about it, her nerves would tingle with excitement. But could she do it? She still wasn't sure she could risk finding out. After all, her initial attempts after college were unsuccessful.

Then those words spoken by Alice and written by an elegant hand whispered in the back of her mind. 'Follow your heart. Always.'

As Monday morning dawned with the sun touching the sky in shades of pale yellow and soft pink, Bella made her choice. Her heart and mind were both content in the decision and Bella was ready to start on her new path. A new day had dawned and a new Bella had awoken.

When she arrived at work with a smile and a slight bounce to her step, Jasper pulled her into a hug before softly saying she would be missed but he was glad she had found her happiness again. Bella spent very little time in her office packing away her things. All that was once important from there was tucked away in the closet in her bedroom.

She did linger near the windows that morning for time, dragging her fingers across the back of the white blinds, watching as they swung from side to side in small waves. She contemplated opening them and looking out to Edward's corner office.

She would never have a chance to see him after today, the lion caged forever in his glass world. Her heart tugged at her in it's desperation for him. Despite her mind's diligent work to rid her of any thoughts pertaining to Edward, her feelings still ran deep.

She missed him and as she collected the last of her belongings from her own cage she knew she always would. The fun they had shared was the best part of her time in this place, the only things she would regret not having anymore. What they had shared would always be special to her, even if it never held the same meaning for him.

Bella left the blinds closed in an effort to spare her eyes the agony of seeing Edward's still closed. She left with wetness brimming her eyes but not spilling over. By the time she reached her car after saying her goodbyes to co-workers, she had pushed all the sadness away and was ready to embrace this new journey.

Bella deposited her two small cardboard boxes of odds and ends from her desk into the passenger seat. She sat in her car for a few minutes taking in deep breaths and letting the new sense of freedom wash over her. If she listened she almost thought she could hear Charlie telling her he was proud of her. It was what he would have done, following his dream to find happiness. Bella smiled a real smile for the first time in weeks at the thought.

Bella opened her eyes at the beeping of her phone, thrown into the abyss of her large purse Alice insisted she buy one weekend not long ago. After digging into the bag for a few moments she pulled out the sliver phone and flipped it open to see Alice had texted her.

_**Heard the good news! Let's celebrate with coffee. Meet me Common Grounds in 30.**_

Bella chuckled at Alice's enthusiasm. She should have known Jasper would've already spread word to Alice before she even left the building much less been able to tell Alice herself. That was definitely one perk of Alice dating Jasper, Bella wouldn't lose him as a friend since they no longer worked together.

Bella quickly sent off a reply text before slipping a notebook and pen into her bag then untangling herself from the car to walk down the street. Common Grounds was the small coffee shop just three blocks up the street from her old office building. Bella's smile again tugged at the corners of her mouth. She was happy to no longer need a building to call her office, it could be wherever she had pen and paper.

She walked into the warmth of the coffee shop minutes later and quickly claimed a table after procuring a cup of coffee. Alice had said thirty minutes but Bella knew her internal clock ran slow. Besides the fact Bella never turned down coffee; it just went against her nature.

Bella wrapped herself in words shortly thereafter. She decided while waiting for Alice she could begin working on her new job. There was no time like the present and she already had an idea of what story she could write. The pages of the notebook began to fill with words and descriptions of glass windows and long distances messages. Not only was it a good start for a story but it would allow Bella to fully expunge her own thoughts and feelings about the personal subject. Writing with such a narrow and passionate focus, Bella soon discovered her coffee cup was empty and her bladder was full.

She found a stopping place before rushing to the restroom. As she washed her hands she noticed nearly an hour had passed with no Alice. Bella mentally chuckled at her friend and decided to send a reminder text as she got more coffee. It really seemed to be giving her a lot of help with her creative juices.

Bella walked back towards her table and her eyes fell on a cup of coffee brimming to the top which hadn't been there earlier. As she drew closer she noticed something else causing her to stop short.

Lying on the table directly beneath the coffee cup was a sheet of white paper.

It was not there when left and it was definitely not from her notebook.

No, it wasn't a blue lined page but it was familiar.

Bella reached for the paper with a shaky hand as she pulled it from under the cup. It was a picture of a bouquet of flowers. The flowers varied in shape, size, and color. It couldn't have been more beautiful to Bella than if they were real. In fact, they were actually more lovely because they were drawn by an elegant hand she would recognize even at a distance.

"Hello, Bella."

Bella could hear the caress in his voice as it wrapped around her name. It was smooth and low, rich and honey filled as it washed along the lines of her body, gently lapping along the shores of her soul. Though she had never heard it before, even come to accept she never would, she knew who it belonged to.

"Edward."

Bella's voice barely pushed the name from her lips, her lungs found it difficult to draw in the necessary air. She refused to turn her head to the angel voice for fear this was all a delusion. And yet her heart wanted nothing more.

"May I please speak with you for a few minutes?"

Bella didn't know if she could. That would mean facing him after all this time had passed, after she had finally began to move forward into a happy place. While her mind screamed at her to say no and run away, her body overruled and nodded in the affirmative. She heard him pull out a chair and sit at her table. Steeling her nerves and giving her self a mental push, Bella turned slowly to face the one person she had never anticipated meeting.

He was even more beautiful up close.

Bella had been right, seeing him from this small a distance was dizzying and her breath, what little she had manged to hold onto, was stolen away by his captivating presence. Finally able to face the man she had begun to fall in love with, and yes she would admit that to herself now damn it, she lost herself all over again.

Bella detailed for her memory his face, every perfect feature from his patrician nose with a slight crook to his strong jaw with its dusting of fine facial hair. His full lips broke into her favorite crooked smile but she barely registered it as her eyes fell into his. Pools of rich, deep sea green gazed intently into her, pulling at the secrets she kept hidden. She had never seen such spectacular, penetrating eyes before. And they were solely focused on her. This knowledge caused a flush of embarrassment and exhilaration to tinge her cheeks pink.

"You're even more beautiful than I knew," he spoken gently across the table. "I can't believe you're really here." Bella's heated skin deepened to red at his words as she ducked her head to hide. She was unable to find any words and the two simply gazed at each other.

Edward cleared his throat after a few minutes and pushed his hands through his disheveled hair. Bella knew that mannerism was a nervous tick and steadied herself for what would be next.

Edward pushed the coffee cup towards Bella which she gingerly accepted with a tentative smile. "This is for you," he quietly said. "Double shot latte with milk is still your usual right?"

Bella nodded and attempted to keep her smile tucked away but was very pleased he still knew her favorite coffee. They had shared coffees in their offices a few times before but she had only told him of her preference once. It warmed her heart to know he still remembered such a trivial thing.

She also knew he was stalling but she figured he could only delay this for so long. He had been the one to seek her out and he was the one who had asked to talk. It was his turn.

"Let me first say, thank you for giving me a chance to speak to you," Edward stated. Bella remained silent but quirked an eyebrow at him to prompt him to continue.

"I owe you an explanation and an apology." A small scoff escaped Bella's lips before she could hold it in. "Or rather a few it seems," he smirked. Bella returned his look with one of her own.

Edward began to fidget in his seat, moving left to right and drumming his fingers along the table for a few moments. His hands fluttered between tugging his hair and pulling at the green satin tie around his neck. Bella watched him as his face moved and shifted with his thoughts.

Bella stretched her hand and pulled softly on Edward's wrist, stopping him from tangling his fingers once more in his hair. "You're going to pull it all out and then what will I make fun of?" she teased.

Edward seemed to relax mildly. He grabbed her hand quickly before Bella was fully able to retract it and began to trace the lines of her palm. He looked up from his ministrations with his sea green eyes into Bella's own coffee colored orbs seeking approval for his action. Bella's whole hand was buzzing with delight at the feel of his soft touch and she didn't want him to stop. She smiled to communicate her agreement. Finally, after what seemed hours, Edward began to talk.

"I'm so sorry Bella. For so many things, really. But mainly for upsetting you. It seems my actions have caused harm and that was never my intention when we started this... friendship," he said the last word timidly as if he wasn't sure calling it that was okay. With a squeeze of her fingers around his she hoped to convey her acceptance.

"I want you to know, I have cherished every conversation we had over the past few months. I looked forward to them each day...so much." Edward swallowed quickly, his Adam's apple bobbing before he spoke again. "I.. I don't know how to tell you... things just got so twisted around so quickly and then.. it was over," his words were coming much quicker and making little sense to Bella.

"I was just confused, you know? And hurt because I thought we-.. that you had.. but I misunderstood and didn't know how to deal with it. So I closed the blinds."

Edward stared directly into Bella's eyes willing her to understand the depths of his remorse. "I should never have done that. It was my only connection and I just shut you out. My only light, and I just blocked it. It was so stupid and I really hope you can forgive me."

Edward was gripping Bella's hand tightly now, his desperation almost another person at their small table. Bella was very moved by his speech but still not clear on what had happened or what he was doing here now, what he wanted. So she asked him.

"I'm sorry, I'm terrible at this. Talking with the signs was so much easier for me, I had time to think, you know?" he chuckled slightly to himself. "You remember that last day we talked through the windows?" he asked, licking his lips.

Bella nodded after refocusing from following the sharp pink movement of this tongue.

"Well after I mentioned dancing, I made a decision. I was going to ask you to meet me. I had been wanting to meet you since the first day."

"That's not possible." Bella stopped him abruptly. "You never asked me for anything personal. I would have given you my number or email if you'd asked."

"I can't explain to you how stupid I feel, knowing that now. But at the time," Edward sighed. "I just kept seeing that guy in your office everyday and I assumed you were together so what would be the point?"

"What? What guy?"

"You had lunch together. Nearly every day, Bella."

Jasper. He thought she was with Jasper? Because of seeing them eat lunch a few times and that stopped him from exchanging numbers? Bella felt her anger rising.

"Why would you assume we were together? It's Jasper, my boss. We went to high school together. You should have asked me about him!"

"You're right, I should have. But Bella, I assumed a gorgeous woman like you would be taken and seeing him there everyday affirmed that belief. So when you shut your blinds so quickly that day after seeing my sign, I knew it was because your boyfriend was there and you didn't want him to know I wanted to me you."

Bella was confused. So much of what he was saying made sense but there were still holes. It was a tangled web they had been weaving.

Why he would think she was with Jasper sort of made sense since they were often asked at work but _Edward should have asked_. And what was he talking about, a meeting sign? There had never been one, she would have known since it was the only sign she prayed to see every day.

"What are you talking about? You never asked me to meet you."

"I did, Bella. This is where the major misunderstanding took place it seems." Edward paused and looked around the room once before bringing his eyes back to Bella.

"I held up the sign but you closed your blinds so fast. I didn't realize you could have missed it until recently," he smirked to himself, "when it was brought to my attention. As soon as it was I knew I had to find you and apologize. Try to fix this, if I could. If you were willing." Edward looked at Bella with timid eyes.

Was this really all a big misunderstanding? Had he really tired to ask her to meet but her hasty actions had given him a false answer? It seemed so trivial, so childish and impossible for it to be explained away that easily. Bella wasn't sure she could believe it.

"How do I know?" she questioned. "How can I believe you? After weeks of no contact, why should I trust you now?" Her voice wasn't angry but it was still stronger than she felt. So much of her heart was waiting on the words he would say.

Instead of speaking, Edward reached down beside him to a messenger bag near his feet Bella hadn't noticed before. She watched as he pulled out sheets upon sheets of paper, all decorated with lines and colors from markers. Words and pictures danced across the pages in familiar images. Bella's heart swelled with hope.

"I saved every sign I ever made when talking to you. I hoped we could be eventually meet but just in case I had to have a piece of you, something to remind me you were real." Edward turned over a few of the signs as he spoke. Bella noticed her name was printed in the corner of each along with a date.

"This one is the first one. I couldn't believe you had found a way to communicate with me finally. I had been trying to think of something for so long," he mused while flipping pages. "This is our first game, you remember?" Bella was too choked up to respond with a verbal answer so she merely nodded.

"This is my favorite, I think." Edward shuffled the sheets and pulled on top of the pile his sign about her writing. "You trusted me enough to tell me your dream, having never even really met me. It told me everything I need to know about you." His smile was warm and comforting.

Edward pushed one more sign over to Bella. Her hands trembled slightly as she read the words. 'Want to meet?' was scrawled in his script across the sheet. Bella was anxious as she flipped the paper over, glancing into Edward's beautiful green eyes before allowing her gaze to drift to the corner and find the date written there. He was right, it was almost from the first time they had started speaking.

Bella felt so much in that moment, joy and light and warmth and happiness knowing he had felt the same about her. She was torn too, knowing they had both hurt each other with misunderstandings and words unspoken, actions taken and chances lost.

Bella looked up into Edward's eyes once more. She saw the man before her, strong and beautiful but timid and shy in so many ways as well. He wasn't a lion, he was a man with faults. Just like she was woman who had made mistakes and allowed others to make decisions for her. She could forgive him and try to see where they would go from here. Or she could walk away and keep her heart protected from possibly being hurt again.

"Do you see it now?" Edward asked, his words barely more than a whisper.

Bella watched Edward gaze at her. She could see his desire for her understanding, her forgiveness, for her to believe him. Desire for her. She heard his words echo in her mind again.

'Follow your heart. Always.'

Then she knew.

He was her heart.

She would follow him.

Always.

Bella smiled bigger and brighter in that instance than she could ever remember. She thrilled to see Edward's face mirror her own. Unable to hold back any longer, Bella leaned across the table cupping her hands around Edward's face. She pulled him towards her as she stood up to lean over and bridge the distance between them. She was even more pleased when Edward mimicked her movements.

Her thumbs tenderly stroked the firm line of his jaw as she stared into him. She could feel warm breath as it shakily left him, bathing her face in its minty scent. Her eyes darted quickly down to his slightly parted lips and she swiped her tongue in a small move against her own.

"I see it. It's telling me to do something and I was told to always follow my heart," her voice tickled the small amount of air between them.

Bella then pressed her lips to Edward's in a soft, warm kiss. Her eyes drifted closed at the pleasurable brush of his tender lips against hers. Her body relaxed in comfort and sparked with fire at the intensity of his reciprocation of her actions. This was heaven, right here on Edward's lips. She could spend eternity in this moment and it still wouldn't be enough.

The kiss lasted for far to short a time but upon staring at Edward's glowing face afterwards, Bella found peace. This wouldn't be the only kiss they would share. She could see her future laid out before her in the green depths of his eyes.

The blinds had been opened and distance no longer separated them.

Only each other remained, etched into the glass windows of the other's heart.

_**A/N: So there you have it the conclusion to our little saga. I have greatly enjoyed every review you've spared on this story. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. **_

_**I'm not entirely sure when but I do plan to do one long Edward POV covering this whole story. If you might be interested in that, put this story on alert. If not, thanks for sticking around this long. **_


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